Egocentric 'Think About The Other Half'
by xxWfCPxx
Summary: Deidara/Ino. DeiIno...surprise-attacked on a scouting mission, Ino finds herself agreeing to let two S-class missing nins from the infamous organisation 'Akatsuki' camp out in her house for the night. rated T for in-detail-not-really-very-adult themes. xx
1. The Lesson

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the anime/manga naruto or any of the characters from the anime/manga mentioned in this fanfiction.

^ That's the only time I'm going to say that for this story but it applies for all of the chapters, okay? ;)

I posted most of these chapters a long time ago but I'm now going through and editing them; just grammer/spelling for this chapter but I might twist the plot a bit in later chapters where I think it's appropriate. Anyway I'll mark the chapters I've edited in this author note and at the bottom so you can all see where I've got up to. ;)  
Otherwise - please read and enjoy! :D

**_-edited-_**

* * *

**chapter one:**

**The Lesson.**

* * *

Ino sat on her bed, looking out of the window. Tonight her parents were going to be out on a mission so she would have to run the shop all by herself. Not that she minded that too much; she was used to working in the shop and knew she could handle it. Just…she didn't like being _alone_. Sakura was going to stay and help Tsunade with her paperwork - so no help from there. Hinata had been asked by Naruto to train with him since Sakura couldn't - and because that was a special thing for her Ino couldn't think of asking her to help out. Tenten was going out 'somewhere' although they all knew that she was going to see Neji - so she couldn't really ask her either. None of the boys would want to help in a flower shop - plus they wouldn't know what to do. Therefore she didn't have anyone who she could ask to come round and help her.

She sighed and jumped off the bed when she saw the time. She was supposed to have a mission today although she didn't know what it was. Apparently Kurenai would brief them (Shikamaru, Chouji and her) when they met up this morning. Kourenai had sort-of taken over since Asuma had died; that still hurt.

She started at a jog and managed to retain it until she reached the designated meeting point, by the gates. Shikamaru and Kourenai were already there and she could see Chouji coming along with a bag of chips as she slowed to a walk a few paces away from them.  
'Hi guys!' She said brightly, flashing a smile as Chouji caught up.

'Yes - hey Ino, Chouji.' Kourenai greeted.

'So what's our mission today?' Ino asked, hoping that it wouldn't take too long. After all, she had to get back to the shop by six - and that was at the latest.

'Well…' Kourenai started and then outlaid what they had to do. Apparently they had to scout the woods around Konoha. Nothing much but something might have been spotted there by one of the villagers; a bit of black fabric with a red semi-circle on one of the ripped sides. It looked similar to the corner of one of the Akatsuki cloaks so they had been asked to check it out. 'Well you all have your ear-pieces, yes? So if you have any problems, make sure you contact someone. And above all - don't try and face anyone by yourself. Akatsuki are strong S-Class nins, okay? You wouldn't stand a chance and I wouldn't try it.'

They nodded to show that they understood and Kourenai nodded back.  
'Good - well then lets get started, shall we? Meet back here at four if nothing's found.'

They nodded again before taking off into the trees - different directions but the same rough area.

* * *

Ino sat on a branch now, her legs swinging, and looked around at her surroundings pleasantly. She hadn't seen anything suspicious and she realised that, although tedious, it really was quite a relaxing mission; the forest was very picturesque and a nice place to be. Jumping down to the ground Ino landed gracefully and heard her stomach rumble. She hadn't brought any food because she thought it would be a bother to carry and would weigh her down. Besides, she was on a diet right now. She continued her patrol at a slower pace, walking along the ground instead of travelling through the trees. For a moment she smiled as she thought of Shikamaru and how he was probably doing the same thing right now.

When she thought of him she felt sad. Life seemed so good for him! Not that it was particularly bad for her though; she had a good family, good friends, a good team and an overall 'good' life. But it was so…well, she couldn't quite figure it out. She supposed what she meant was that it was a bit too…_normal_. That would suit Shikamaru fine, and she knew it. And maybe…was she envious of that? He seemed so happy with his life, so easy-going and relaxed, treating everything with such a laid-back attitude that it was almost catching. But Ino just wasn't like that.

_Why? Whats so different between us that I cant be satisfied with my life while he can?_

Ino thought about Shikamaru again - what made him different from her? Family…money…strength…friends…_oh_. Ino finally realised what was different. Shikamaru had Temari. Although they still lived in different villages they would often go to visit each other and always stopped by on a mission when they could. Although Shikamaru had been happy before Ino realised sadly that he was even more content now. So it was because of Temari?

Ino wasn't jealous of Temari. She liked Shikamaru as a friend, almost a brother - and she was glad of anything that made him happy. But she was slightly jealous of _him_ - jealous because he was so happy. More so then herself? She realised that if having Temari was what made him happy, then maybe having a boyfriend would cheer her up.

But the only boy she had ever really fancied was Sasuke; and he was gone with Orichimaru, the snake bastard. But it wasn't as if he hadn't been given a choice. Sasuke had gone of his own free will and that had made her a bit depressed for a while. She was surprised that one of the reasons for the sad state was because she thought that Sasuke had been brave to take his future into his own hands and that she wasn't sure if she would have been able to.

That had been three years ago though and she had got over it. She didn't think of Sasuke much now although she knew Sakura still did. Sakura…her best friend. They had been stupid back then to fight over Sasuke and now Ino saw how small and childish her crush had been - and how deep Sakura held Sasuke in her heart. Ino knew that Sakura always tried to hide the fact that she missed Sasuke but she wasn't very good at lying; she never had been.

Ino had been walking as she thought and hadn't been looking about her properly. Instead her gaze was fixed on the ground, a frown adorning her normally care-free face. She didn't even notice that she was being watched; being watched very carefully and intently. She only noticed that something was up after she had slipped in a puddle of water, landing her on her back, which caused her to snap out of her thoughts rather quickly.

Immediately her senses came back and the hairs on the back of her neck tingled. Turning hurriedly as she got up Ino stared into the trees around her thinking how stupid she must look now - a kunoichi of her age having slipped up on a puddle that was right in the middle of the path, her clothes now wet and stained with mud.

At first she saw nothing but all the same she felt her hand subconsciously rise to her earpiece, deciding to warn the others just in case there was someone there. After all, reporting nothing was better than not reporting something. Just as her hand reached the communications button though she heard the whiz of kunai and instinctively dived out of the way, her team-mates momentarily forgotten.

Ino looked up just in time to see two more kunai coming and managed to dodge them - but as soon as she had she saw two more coming and two after that and two after that. This time she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge and a moment later she found herself pinned to a tree by several kunai through her clothes. It was, she decided, either a miracle or completely planned that she hadn't got hurt. Her clothes were usually so tight-fitting that it would be hard to hit them without hitting her but three kunai had got her skirt pinned to the tree, the only part of her clothing that _wasnt_ clinging to her skin, and four more had her arms pinned, one either side of her wrists, their handles stopping her from moving her arms out and their blades dug in deep into the tree so that she couldn't move. Another unnerving thing about this persons aim, she saw, was that her earpiece was lying on the ground, a kunai lying next to it, having managed to flick it off her ear without hurting her.

'Pretty impressive, Hmm?'

Ino's head jerked up as she heard the voice - a male voice - but he didn't look like a male. In fact he didn't look too dissimilar from herself. Long blonde hair held in a high ponytail, bangs covering the left eye and the rest hanging loose down his back. But she couldn't see how long it was because he was wearing a cloak. A black cloak with red cloud designs on it.

_Akatsuki._

'I got taught that by an Uchiha, Hmm.' The man continued, and carefully came forward until he was standing by the earpiece. Bending down and picking it up he examined it, holding it between his forefinger and thumb. As Ino continued her examination of _him_, she saw with a start that he seemed to have something like deep slits in his palms.

The metal was uncomfortably rough against her wrists, and Ino looked down and tried to wriggle her hands out, but gave up a moment later as she saw that it wasn't going to work. And without her hands free there was no way of freeing her skirt. Two kunai's pinned the sides of the skirt to the tree. One on the left side, one on the right. And another kunai pinned the middle of the skirt in-between her legs to the tree. That made the movement of her legs very limited as the skirt was tight as it was anyway. So she couldn't try and kick him. She was, in fact, she thought with gritted teeth - completely helpless. But she could still speak.

'What do you want from me, you homo?' She spat out, deciding to act tough and see if it complemented her.

The man in front of her raised his head so that his one visible light blue orb was staring directly at her. _Another similarity - he has blue eyes,_ Ino thought - but she also noted the annoyed look on his face.

'What did you call me?' The distinct lack of anger made her feel even more uneasy and made the voice sound even more menacing. Maybe this wasn't the right track to be taking…

'I called you a homo,' Ino answered anyway, still trying to act brave. _After all, since Ive already started,_ she tried to reason with her uneasy self. There was a pause before he replied, in which he went back to studying the device.

'I could kill you for that, hmm,' he said lazily before lifting the earpiece and fitting it onto his ear. Ino watched him in confusion; what was the point in him wearing it? He couldn't say anything to them because they would know immediately that she was in danger - but maybe that was his plan?

'I want to hear what they're saying, hmm,' the man muttered in reply to Ino's bemused face, gesturing at the earpiece to make sure she understood.

'Why? If you're here then they're not exactly going to report that they've seen you!' Ino snapped, annoyed at her current position.

'Not me, no.'

'There's more than one of you bastards?!' Ino almost screamed, immediately worried for her team members. Still, if she hadn't been off in cuckoo land then chances are she wouldn't have been caught. Not that easily anyway. They would probably stand a better chance - and they would probably be able to use their ear piece too, a convenience that had, unfortunately, been taken away from her.

'You're rather useless for a kunoichi, hmm,' His voice startled her out of her thoughts, the words bringing a slight red flush of anger onto her cheeks. 'That's assuming you _are_ one and didn't just steal this pretty ear piece and weapons pouch.' He finished, almost as an afterthought.

Ino looked up in surprise to see him watching her, head tilted slightly to the right as his one eye studied her carefully. Like he had done with the earpiece.  
'Hmph. Like I care what a cross-dresser thinks!' She replied and turned her head away, determined not to look at him although she was itching to see what his reaction would be.

'Oh you're still on about that, are you?' He asked in an almost bored tone which made Ino wonder why the hell she wasn't dead yet. 'Haven't you ever seen a man with long hair before, hmm?' He continued and Ino had to force herself to not respond. Of course she had seen tons of men with long hair but…she didn't know what it was about him. Maybe because it was practically _her_ hairstyle and she was in no-way going to admit that it was a male hairstyle. She was, after all, most definitely feminine herself. 'Well I just find it easier to keep it out of the way in this style, hmm.' He finished and Ino wondered whether he had noticed she was trying to ignore him.

Apparently he had because after a few more awkward moments he walked over to her, stopping only about a foot away.  
'What, hmm? Wasn't that a good enough explanation for you?'

Ino realised she must have hit a sore spot when targeting his looks; maybe he got teased about it a lot - or maybe most people didn't have the guts. She would have thought that if he was this touchy about it he would make sure that people knew not to mention it. So again that question…why was she still alive? He didn't have any use for her and she had pissed him off. Did that have no meaning? He was an S-class criminal from the infamous organisation of Akatsuki. These people weren't supposed to have feelings. They were supposed to do everything on order - right? So he must have a use for her or…

Ino's musings were interrupted by a hand roughly grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him, into his one eye.  
'Answer me, hmm. Wasn't that good enough?'

Ino hesitated at the glint in his eye but mentally shrugged; if he wasn't going to kill her then why not annoy him?

'You still look like a gir- mmph!' Ino was cut off as something was pressed over her mouth. Something soft but definitely not gentle. Her eyes widened even more as she realised that it was his mouth and that he was kissing her.

_What the hell?_ She wondered, shocked, but she didn't really have time to think anymore as she concentrated on what he was doing. She had hoped that her first kiss would be sweet and gentle with someone who she truly loved; the complete opposite of what she was actually getting.

The hand that had been gripping Ino's chin had moved back to partly cover her left cheek while his fingers held firmly onto the back of her neck. His other hand was gripping her right elbow, pressing it into the rough bark although she couldn't move it anyway, and his lips were crushing hers so painfully she was afraid of going numb.

As if he had read her thoughts Ino felt a sharp jolt of pain shoot through her as he bit her lip, his body pressing closer and his eye still staring intently into hers. Ino gasped against her will and felt something moist brush past her lips as he took advantage of the situation and slipped his tongue in. Ino's eyes opened still further at that but a moment later she found them closed, a moan managing to escape her even though she had tried to keep it in. This wasn't fun for her but something, her body Ino guessed, argued that it was. That it felt…_good_??

His tongue was still roaming her mouth but for some reason Ino didn't try to stop it. Until she needed air that is - and then she flinched back a bit, pressing her tongue against his to tell him to get out. Getting the message he played with her a bit more by returning the pressure, doubled, before withdrawing and gently releasing her lips.

Ino gasped for air, not really caring that he didn't get off her to start with. She noticed a moment later though, when her breathing was less frantic, and closed her eyes to try and steady her nerves. She could feel his hot breath fanning her cheek, his hands still positioned as they had been a moment ago. Although his breathing wasn't as erratic as hers it was still rather shallow and Ino momentarily wondered why. Until he started to speak, that is. Then the barely hidden fierceness showed through; fierceness to prove her wrong?

'Do I act like a girl, hmm?' Although her eyes were closed Ino could feel his boring into her and knew he needed an answer so she shook her head. This had gone on far enough and now was the time to stop it and back out if she could.

'Do I feel like a girl, hmm?' He asked, the fierceness still there, although Ino could have sworn that it had decreased minimally. As he asked Ino felt him lean in again and brush his lips against hers, biting her bottom lip as before, just lighter this time. She shook her head again, holding her breath.

'Do I taste like a girl, hmm?' He murmured and Ino realised that nearly all of the fierceness of before had disappeared. He sounded almost tired in comparison as he ran his tongue over where he had bitten her. Again she shook her head - not bothering to point out that she had never tasted a girl before so wouldn't really know.

'Answer me properly, hmm. You're not mute.'

'N-no…' Ino left it hanging, not knowing his name. Not knowing the name of her first kiss. Either he didn't get what she wanted or he didn't want to give that information out because he didn't tell her his name. Instead,

'What - a stutter?!' He asked quietly, mocking her; 'You weren't that shy a moment ago, hmm.' Was he…_teasing_ her? Ino cracked an eye open to see a smirk on his lips; he _was_!

Ino blinked, staring at the way his lips curled upwards. This was not what she had expected of an S-class criminal, not at all, but then…she was still bowled over from what had just happened. It _had_ happened, right? She was sure of it - he was still up close to her, although not as close as before.

'So what do I look like?' He was back to speaking almost pleasantly and Ino felt some confidence return, although not much.

'A male, yeah,' she replied, giving a very weak smile at the end. He retreated a few steps, dropping his arms back to his sides - although not before, Ino saw, he had disarmed her - the weapons pouch lying on the ground about a foot away from her.

'Good, hmm. You learn quickly.' It had been a lesson - he wasn't fazed at all. Ino didn't really understand.

Then a static noise filled the air and the man moved his hand up to the earpiece to adjust it so the noise didn't hurt his ear so much. He was only a few feet away and Ino found that she could hear what was said. It was Shikamaru speaking.

'Kourenai, Ino?' Ino frowned; what about Chouji? 'Are you Ok? Can you hear me? I've found Chouji and need you to come at once. Near the East gate. He's been wounded quite badly and isn't conscious. I think we need to get him to the hospital but I'll need some help…'

Now Kourenai's voice spoke up, 'What happened to him - do you know? Are there any clues? Do you know where the person who attacked him went?' Ino's throat was dry. Chouji…would he be Ok?

* * *

Finito! :)  
What did you think? Please review but, more importantly, please keep reading! :D

Also...Ino's house features quite a bit in this story so a while back I drew a plan of what I imagined it being like. A few details aren't accurate (eg. the bathroom's too big) and my labels are messy and hard to read but if you want to see it anyway it's on my devient account;  
(spaced out) http :// solus-serpen .devian tart .com

love,  
WfCP xxx

**_-edited-_**


	2. Conversations

Hello again!

This chapter isn't the most enthralling if I say so myself - full of conversations as the title suggests - but I thought I'd put it in to bring in some more plot. After all, this story does become quite plot-based nearer the end. Luckily the writing is also better nearer the end but it would take too much time to try and rewrite these chapters so I'm simply editing them instead.

Well, read and enjoy!

**_-edited-_**  


* * *

Ino's throat was dry. Chouji…would he be Ok?

* * *

**chapter two:**

**Conversations**

* * *

She was glad, at least, that it had not been Shikamaru who had been hurt - but if Chouji had encountered one of this man's friends then why had they hurt him? Or more acutely - why had she _not_ been hurt?

'No sorry - there aren't any clues as to what happened or where his opponent went but for some reason they didn't kill him. I'm still thinking as to why.'

A pause, then Kurenai again; 'Ino? Ino - are you there? Can you hear me?' Ino locked eyes with the man, wondering what he was going to do.

'Ino? … Oh no…don't tell me they got her too - Kurenai, where was she patrolling?' Ino heard Shikamaru's voice crackle through as the mic was held near to her mouth, the speaker held so that they could both hear.

'You're in my care at the minute - so I wouldn't make it sound too suspicious, hmm.' Her captor said before pressing the communications button. Immediately Ino butted into Kurenai's reply, trying to sound worried. She was good at acting and her captor was right - she was in no position to disobey him right now.

'Kurenai - Shikamaru! I'm here! Sorry! But…I was still shocked about Chouji. He will - l-live, won't he?' She asked, adding the quaver at the end without much problem. After all, she _was_ worried about him.

'Oh, Ino! Thank god - I was getting worried!' Kurenai breathed in relief, and Shikamaru grunted.

'Pay attention, we thought you'd been attacked.'

_They're fooled that easily?_ Ino thought rather sadly. What hope was there for her then? Her only hope lay in her captor; which, actually, didn't look too bad. For whatever reason he had decided to keep her alive so far. So, whatever the reason, it might keep her alive longer if she was lucky.  
'Yeah, yeah - sorry guys.' Ino grumbled, and elicited another pause.

'Ino - where are you? I'm at the west gate. If you're nearer, you need to help Shikamaru get Chouji to hospital. I'll see if I can find anything and call in an ANBU squad. Ok?'

'Ok.'

'Where are you, Ino? How long will you be?' Asked Shikamaru, and Ino could hear the slight worry in his voice. Had he guessed? But then she heard why; 'Chouji really doesn't look good - I'm not sure how long he'll hold out for but his pulse is pretty faint.'

Ino paled and her captor saw this. He frowned but Ino knew that he had no reason to worry really - she was going to continue the lie; Kurenai was probably nearer Shikamaru anyway.  
'Shit! How bad? I'm really deep into the south forest, so I'll be quite a while coming out…'

'Why are you deep?' Kurenai asked sharply, 'I thought I said just scout thinly around the town.'

'Well I saw a trail and…and I thought it might be a lead -'

'You didn't tell us?' Shikamaru was disapproving.

'Well I didn't think it was much but better check on nothing then don't check on something, right?'

'Yes - but better tell on nothing than not tell on something is also connected to that.'

'Sorry Kurenai-sensei…'

'We don't have time to chat!' Shikamaru sounded annoyed and…in a rush? Surely this wasn't Shikamaru! Shikamaru was never urgent…_except when a friend's life is on the line…_

'I'm coming but I can't promise that I can be there soon. I'll try though. Kurenai - you'll probably get there before me. If you help Shikamaru take Chouji to hospital, I'll meet up with you guys there. Ok?'

'Ok!'

'Right. How troublesome…' Ino heard Shikamaru sigh to himself as her captor and her team-mates shut off the communications.

There was a long silence after that. Not particularly awkward, just - neither could think of what to say. _Blondie,_ as Ino had nicknamed him, had walked away from her and now sat on the ground a little way away, still holding the earpiece in his hand and staring at it although Ino got the impression that he was thinking about something else. She wondered if she had upset him somehow and then wondered why she had thought that. It wasn't like she cared, right?

'Wasn't that good enough?' Ino heard herself ask quietly, breaking the silence and watching him to see what he would do. For a moment he did nothing, just continued to stare at the earpiece. Then he sighed and glanced at up her.

'No - that was fine, hmm,' he muttered and gave her a small smile afterwards. Something was troubling him though and Ino found herself wanting to know what it was. So that she could target him with it? No, that wasn't it. With a jolt Ino realised that she wanted to take it away; _I don't like seeing him like that - all troubled.  
_'What's wrong?' Ino asked tentatively, not really expecting an answer. So she wasn't really disappointed when he just shook his head and stood up.

'I have to go now, hmm,' he said instead, looking up at the sky and avoiding her eyes. Ino just stared at him. He was going? He was going to leave her like this?

'Wait - where are you going?' Ino asked as he turned and began to walk away, still holding the earpiece. He stopped but didn't turn around.

'Away, hmm,' he answered vaguely and she realised that he wasn't going to tell her.

'But-but what about me?'

'_What_ about you?' He snapped back, a bit too fast to be casual and Ino swallowed.

'Just-just I can't move and…' She trailed off as he turned around and eyed her; he seemed a lot colder now than before.

'You can't come with me, hmm.' For some reason Ino felt dejected - but surely all she wanted was to be free?

'I just need to be free - please.' She whispered, her eyes pleading. He seemed to waver slightly and muttered something to himself before looking up with another sigh and shaking his head.

'I can't, hmm.'

'Why not?!' Ino asked, somewhat frantic now. She would be stuck here without any means to communicate. It would be sheer luck if someone found her…and if they didn't she would die!

'Danna wouldn't be pleased, hmm.'

'Who is 'Danna'?' She pressed, trying to find a loophole in his reasoning so he could let her off.

'Sasori Danna, hmm.'

Well, that didn't tell her much. Just his name.  
'Why should he care about me?'

'He doesn't.'

Again, very helpful.  
'So surely you can let me go and he wouldn't mind?'

'It doesn't work like that, hmm. If I let you go you might blab about us.'

'We already know you're here but if you're going then I won't have anything to say. Please - I promise I won't say anything. _Onegai_!'

He ran his eye over her thoughtfully.

'Say that again, hmm.' He muttered, walking over to her, eye meeting eyes. Ino hesitated; say what?

'What - 'please'?' She asked to verify, confused and rather put out as to why he wanted her to repeat herself anyhow. He nodded in reply and she frowned.

'Onegai,' she repeated, even more confused.

'No - you didn't stress it that time, hmm,' he muttered and so she tried again.

'_Onegai_.' Her heart wasn't in it though and again he shook his head, then sighed and turned around. He was going to go after all? For a moment back there…well, she had thought she might have a chance…

'No, wait! Please don't go! You can't leave me here or I'll _die_!' Ino cried, eyes filled with desperation. 'I'll do anything if you'll just let me go. _Anything_!' He'd turned to look at her again now, thoughtful once more. '…_please…_' Ino breathed, and she thought she saw a very slight smirk cross his features before disappearing so quickly that she wondered whether she had actually seen it there or not.

Walking over to her he bent down and silently removed the kunai which pinned her skirt to the tree. Standing up he removed the other four kunai, which took slightly more effort as they were embedded very deep. Ino watched him in surprise. Why was he doing this? What had she said?

She had said she would do anything for him. Was that why? What did he have in mind?

'Satisfied, hmm?' He asked as he fitted the communicator onto her ear.

'Wha-?' Ino asked, confused. What was he doing?

'Koi.' He muttered and, grabbing her wrist (which was still quite sore from the kunai), he sprang up into the trees, dragging her with him. Ino quickly regained control and jumped from branch to branch with him instead of him having to drag her. He didn't relinquish his grip on her wrist though and Ino winced as a flash of pain shot up her arm.

_Dammit - if we could stop for a bit I could heal that,_ she thought, annoyed. Mainly though she was confused; why had he decided to change his mind? Where were they going now? It seemed like they were heading East - that was where Chouji had been injured, right?

After moving at a high speed for several minutes Ino felt herself pulled down to the ground by the hand on her arm and a moment later she was pressed up against another tree although there were no kunai this time. Ino could hear her shallow breathing as she fought for breath and she knew that her captor could too. She wasn't used to running so fast - and now what was happening?

'You've got to do exactly what I say, hmm.' Ino nodded. 'Good. Sasori-danna…I'll do the talking. But you must obey him as well, hmm.' Again, Ino nodded. 'Questions?'

Ino had so many that they could be there all night, so instead she shortened it down to two.  
'Why did you free me?'

He looked slightly uncomfortable;. 'That doesn't matter, hmm. I just thought you could be of use…'

'One more…' Ino quickly stated, before he could pull her away again. He tilted his head to show he was listening. 'I- errm. I mean…what's your name?'

A brief smile flickered across his face.  
'Why do you want to know? Hmm.'

'You know mine!' She protested back, referring to when he must have picked it up from the conversation over the intercom.

'…And?'

Ino blushed and looked away; 'That was my first kiss.' Ino didn't see the look of obvious surprise that crossed his face.

'Oh, Uh...I'm…' He started.

'You're _late_, **Deidara**.' Ino heard a voice cut him off and peered around him to see the new arrival.

'What Danna said, hmm,' Deidara finished with a sigh and turned to face the man behind him. Or well, was it a man? It looked more like a wooden…umm, a wooden…

…_Scorpion_? Ino wondered as she saw the tail arch slightly and then come flying towards them; more importantly towards _her_. Strong hands pushed her to the floor and she felt something heavy land on top of her. Deidara. He rolled off and stood in a protective crouch in front of her.

'Sasori Danna…stop it, hmm!'

'Why?' Was the stubborn reply but the tail withdrew regardless; 'Who is she?'

'Ino…part of the same team as the one you found, hmm.'

'But in better condition I see,' Sasori replied dryly, coming forward slowly in a sliding motion, his tail dragging along the floor after him and making an ominous swishing sound. He stopped a few feet away and eyed her coldly. Deidara watched apprehensively.

'She looks like you,' Sasori finally muttered and glanced up at him. 'Is that why you were soft on her?'

Deidara glared. 'I wasn't soft on her, hmm. I just thought she could be useful.' Sasori left it hanging, waiting for him to continue. 'I was going to leave her there to die but then she begged me; she said she'd do anything, hmm.'

'Many do when faced with death, Deidara,' Sasori sighed tiredly; 'Equally, many don't mean it.'

'But she could be useful, hmm. After all, she's part of Konoha…'

Sasori looked back down at Ino who was feeling increasingly uncomfortable lying on the floor. She tried to get up only to have Deidara lay a restraining hand on her shoulder, pressing her back down.

'Do you have somewhere we could stay?' Sasori asked her, his wooden face impassive, voice blank.

Ino blinked; _What?_ 'Errm, my house?' She asked, not sure.

'I don't know - _I_ was asking _you,_' Sasori bit back, sounding impatient now. Ino felt Deidara's hand tighten slightly on her shoulder, telling her to be careful.

'Well for how long? My parents won't be home for the night at least.'

'So we can stay for the night, hmm?'

'Y-yeah…' Ino looked from one to the other in confusion.

'Good. Get up,' Sasori said blankly, and Deidara released her arm. Ino stood, dusted herself down, and then stopped, feeling something attached to her and gently pulling at her. She slowly turned her head to see thin blue chakra strings attaching her to the wooden puppet. She couldn't see his hands but she knew that she was in his control now.

'She would make a good puppet don't you think, Deidara?' Sasori asked conversationally and Ino heard Deidara grunt in reply.

'Wait until we're finished here, Sasori-Danna, hmm. Her knowledge might prove more useful later.'

Sasori seemed to agree with him and released her, the chakra flowing back to him. Ino shivered; she didn't like the feeling of not being in control. Then Deidara took her wrist again (Ino silently cursed for forgetting to heal it) and they began to walk back to Konoha, the pace considerably slower now that Sasori was with them.

About five minutes later a static noise filled the air and they all stopped, Deidara and Sasori turning to look at her. Ino hesitated and glanced at Deidara, who in turn glanced at Sasori, exchanging looks. A moment later and she found chakra strings attached to her again. Her right arm lifting without her commanding it to she pressed the communications device as Kurenai's voice crackled through the earpiece.

'Ino? Where are you? I'm with Chouji and Shikamaru now, hurry up!'

Ino glanced at Deidara again and saw him nod; they were trusting her to do this. Well, Deidara was - Sasori maybe not so much as she felt her own hands encircle her neck, not enough to stop her from being able to speak but enough to warn her of what would happen should she play them false.

'Kurenai! Sorry! I'm nearing the south gate, travelling to the east now.' She made sure that she sounded like she was out of breath. 'I've been running fast all the way here but I think I might have sprained my ankle a bit because it hurts. I might be a bit longer but don't wait for me. Chouji needs to get to a hospital right away. What should I do?'

She heard Kurenai sigh on the other end; 'Damn, he doesn't look good. You're right, me and Shikamaru will get him to the hospital. You go and get a squad of ANBU out here as quickly as you can, explain what happened and then meet us at the hospital, ok?'

'Yeah, ok.'

There was a buzz as it was disconnected on Kurenai's line and Ino found her right hand de-attach itself from her neck and switch the communications button off. Then the chakra strings left her body and she flexed her arms slightly and rubbed her neck, sending a dark look towards Sasori.

Deidara glanced at Sasori as if asking 'what now?' but Sasori didn't reply in words, turning instead and continuing to walk towards Konoha. Deidara took Ino's wrist once more and followed. Ino frowned, annoyed that she didn't even get a simple 'thanks' for helping them out. Then again, they _were_ highly powerful and feared S-class criminals; they were probably used to getting what they wanted.

As they neared the road Sasori stopped, causing Deidara and Ino to stop too.  
'We will need to use Henge no jutsu to enter,' Sasori muttered monotonously. Then, to Ino's surprise, there was a puff and the wooden scorpion disappeared. In it's place was a fairly attractive red-headed boy holding a summoning scroll which he was rolling up without noticing her stares. Hiding it in his trade-mark Akatsuki cloak he turned and frowned at her. 'What?'

'I-uh, we don't have many red-heads in Konoha - and you should loose the cloak.' For a split second he looked confused but then he smiled at her, amused.

'Oh, this isn't my Henge,' he explained smoothly, causing Ino's eyes to widen. Someone so young was in the Akatsuki? He could only be a year or two older than her at the _most -_ and actually looked _younger_ than her.

Apparently he noticed her surprise because his smile widened; 'And I'm not as young as you think, either.'

'Danna is practically immortal, hmm,' Deidara added, grinning at her surprise. Ino just blinked in reply;_ immortal_…there had been that member in Akatsuki that truly _was_ immortal. He had killed Asuma, even when he had had his head chopped off and re-attached. She had thought that Shikamaru had dealt with him though, right?

'Um, you'd better Henge,' She replied finally and Sasori nodded.

'Into who?'

Ino frowned, then realised that since there were two of them it would be sensible for them to transform into her parents. After all, that wouldn't be too suspicious. 'Here, you can henge as my parents. They're going on a mission about now and the guards won't register it anyhow. Less suspicious like this.'

'We don't know what they look like, hmm' Deidara pointed out, and so Ino quickly henged herslef, showing them her parents' features. Transforming into her dad Ino let Sasori run his eyes over her before hengeing himself so that there were two of them. Ino nodded as she saw that he did indeed look like her dad now and then showed her mother and had Deridara henge into her.

Her 'father' motioned for them to continue once Ino had returned to her orginal form and they walked out onto the road, approaching the gates. When they reached there Ino just skipped through happily and waved at the guards who smiled and waved back.  
'Hey, Ino! Back from your mission?'

Ino nodded, 'Yep - I've got to go see someone though!' She called and turned to beckon to her 'parents'; 'Come on mum, dad!' She called with a light laugh and turned back around, disappearing into a side street. Ino waited there for them to catch up. A moment later and her 'father' rounded the corner, followed by her 'mum'. Truth be told, she wished she had asked them to henge as someone else. It was somewhat unnerving having her 'parents' there.

'Good, you're here,' Sasori's cold voice muttered and Ino sighed.

'Yeah, why? Did you think I would just leave you wandering lost in the streets? My parents haven't left yet and I'm not going to let them see you. Besides - I'm going to get into a hell of a lot of trouble if this is found out,' she added, staring at the ground.

A hand on her wrist pulled her further down the narrow street and she saw that it was her dad, and not her mum as she had expected.  
'Where does this lead?'

'To the district where my house is - but it might be good idea to wait until I'm sure my parents are gone first.'

'Unless we henge again, hmm,' Ino's mum pointed out just behind them. Ino winced at the low voice issuing from her mothers mouth. This was…_wrong_.

'Err, yeah, you could do that.'

Sasori stopped, let go of her wrist and turned to her.  
'What do your friends look like?'

Ino blinked again. He was serious.  
'I think it might be more sensible if you henge into male friends, right?' Ino asked, glancing at her 'mum'. Sasori nodded.

'Right, well there's Shino…' Ino said and transformed thus. This was because although she wasn't very good friends with him she thought it fitted the S-Class criminals better. Besides he was less likely to come to her house and see a clone of himself. Sasori transformed into Shino and Deidara transformed into Neji.

'Right, come on then,' she muttered and set off at a brisk walk, still uncomfortable about travelling with dangerous strangers that looked like people she knew. When she reached her shop and entered she heard her mother and father packing in the back. Her mother came forward when she heard the bell jingle as they entered.

'Shop is closed until six n-' She stopped as she saw them; 'Oh! Ino! Sorry - I thought you were on a mission!'

'Yeah I am but mother…something bad happened! I can't tell you right now but I have to get upstairs and use the phone.'

Her mother stared at her and then nodded; 'Of course, dear, straight away - but what are Shino and Neji doing here?'

'Oh they're helping. But no more questions mum, I have to go _now_!' Ino stressed and bolted out of the room and up the stairs.

Shino nodded in recognition of Miss Yamanaka and disappeared up the stairs after Ino. Neji raised a hand in greeting before following. Miss Yamanaka stared after them for a minute, then shook her head and returned to her husband.

'Just Ino and some friends. Something happened on her mission but she was in a rush and couldn't say. Nothing too major though I guess.'

'Ah well we must go - I'm sure she'll be fine, right?'

'Yep!'

They walked to the door, light rucksacks on their backs.

'Bye, Ino dear!' Her mother called.

'We'll be back as soon as we can!' Her father finished and they walked out of the door.

'Bye mum, dad. don't worry about me!' They heard their daughter call back through an upstairs window - and then they were gone. Ino watched as they disappeared around the corner, leaving her on her own with the two missing nins.

'What now, hmm?' She heard Deidara ask and turned to see that they had both cancelled their henge's. _Good._

'Now I think I should call ANBU and go to see Chouji in hospital,' Ino supplied readily, meeting their gazes evenly. 'If I don't then they'll wonder why and come to find me.'

'You don't really want to though,' Sasori muttered and frowned.

Ino rolled her eyes. 'No, strange as it sounds. I don't want to leave two S-Class criminals alone in my house,' She snapped, the 'strange as it sounds' part stressed with sarcasm.

'Then just ring ANBU, send a patrol out and tell Kurenai you can't make it, hmm,' Deidara replied lazily from where he was lying (she suddenly realised) on her bed. Sasori nodded in agreement and Ino sighed before walkeing over to the phone. Picking it up she rung ANBU although she knew she should really go and see them.

Deidara and Sasori listened, slightly annoyed that they could only hear one side of the conversation this time.

'Hello?…yes…Yamanaka Ino…this is urgent…Chouji has been badly injured and we're not sure if he is going to make it…yes, I know this isn't the hospital…he's already been taken there, but…I know! I am!…we think it might have been Akatsuki…yes…our mission was to scout because some evidence…yes, we're _that_ team…no…no, that's why I'm calling you…East gate, Kourenai-sensei should know more details, I was just told to send out an ANBU squad…yes, probably…Ok…I don't know…they're dangerous…no, that's the hospitals job…yes, but I wasn't there…I haven't seen him…because Kourenai-sensei and Shikamaru…yes, that's the team…Shikamaru found him…at the hospital…no, I'm at home…because I sprained my ankle…what? I can heal something that simple myself!…because my house was nearer and I needed to phone you quickly…I can't…need to run the shop…parents on a mission…I know! But…but I don't want to see him - th-they said he d-d-didn't l-look g-good and I don't want him t-to d-d-_die_!' Ino fairly broke down at this point and Deidara lifted himself off the bed slightly to look at her. Was she that upset?

'No…I think I just need to think it over…I have some friends here…helping with the shop…yes, if I need it…but please hurry! We don't want them to get away…yes…pleas-…ok…right…no, I'll do that…yes…good luck,' and with that Ino finally hung up the phone and leaned her back against the hard wall with a sigh.

'Some friends?' Sasori asked, eyebrow raised, but didn't get an answer.

'Are you okay?' Deidara asked from the bed and Ino glanced at him to see him watching her almost…worriedly?…but no, that wouldn't make sense.

Ino nodded in reply and he flopped back onto the bed, uninterested. 'Hmm.'

'You should contact Kurenai now.' Sasori reminded her and Ino nodded with a sigh.

Pressing the communications button, she took a breath, then started speaking again.  
'Kurenai? Are you there?'

'Ino! Where are you?'

'I'm at home…I called ANBU and they've sent a squad out to check the place out. You left markings on the trees so they could follow them?'

'Yes…but Ino…why are you at home? I though you were coming to the hospital.'

'Sorry Kurenai but it was nearer than the ANBU station and I have a sprained foot. I need to sit down somewhere safe and heal it.'

'Have your parents left?'

'Yeah…'

'Ok - so heal your foot and come to the hospital and then -'

'Wait, Kurenai…' Ino swallowed at this point, and readied herself for lying to her teacher again. She hated this!

'Ino?'

'I-I don't want to go to the hospital.'

There was a pause in which only static was heard, then…  
'Why not, Ino?' Shikamaru's voice came down the line.

'What about Chouji?' Kurenai asked.

'I- you see. I don't want to see him like that. You said he was in bad condition…I don't want him t-to d-d-die.'

'But the result is going to be the same whether you come or not,' Shikamaru stated evenly.

'You don't want to be here with him when he's in this bad condition?' Kurenai asked worriedly.

'Guys…you don't understand…' _Shannero you don't!_ She cried mentally but she managed to contain herself and continued, '…When Asuma…when he…_died_ - I felt so bad. I don't want to go through that again. I felt as if it was my fault…that I couldn't do anything.'

'We all did…but this is different. At least we're here.' Shikamaru said stiffly, hiding his emotions. Kurenai was having more trouble with that. After all, she had had Asuma's child.

'Well Ino…I think you'll regret it…'

'I just want to be left alone!' Ino said, and broke down crying. Or what sounded like it anyway. There was an awkward silence as she sobbed. Then Kurenai came in again.

'Ino…if you want…I can come over. If you want to talk or something…'

Ino shook her head, obviously forgetting that Kurenai couldn't see her.  
'N-n-no th-thank you, Kurenai,' Ino said as she sniffed and wiped her eyes. 'I th-think I just need some time to think things over…if you don't mind, that is…'

'No, that's fine.' Kurenai said softly, making Ino feel even worse inside. Her sensei was so nice - she would have to remember to help her more when she got out of this mess.

'Ino…' Shikamaru's voice came through and Ino paused,

'Yes…?'

'…Chouji isn't dead yet.' He finished.

Although she knew he was just trying to be nice, she also knew she had to play out every acting opportunity available.  
'…yet?' She whispered, sounding as if she was about to break down again. Then she heard a click as Shikamaru disconnected his communications.

'Ino…Shikamaru didn't mean it that way. I'm sure Chouji will be fine.'

'Why did Shikamaru disconnect?' Ino asked softly and Kurenai's voice came back accompanied by a sigh.

'I think he's just a bit pent up at the minute. Really, I've never seen him so fidgety before. He can't stop playing with this shogai piece but Ino…you just rest, Ok?'

'Yeah, sensei- thanks.'

'That's fine and -oh, Ino…aren't you supposed to run the shop tonight? I can send someone to help if you want…'

'It's ok, Kurenai, I've got some of mums friends coming to help and it might help take my mind off things. D-don't worry about me, I just need some time to think, then I'll be fine.'

'Well, ok, if you insist…'

'Yeah, I-I'll be fine.'

'Right, well I'll see you…soon, ok?'

'Yeah…ok.'

Kurenai's end clicked and the static stopped as Ino pressed the button, then roughly grabbed the device and, pulling it off her ear, she threw it across the room, hearing the satisfactory snap as it hit the opposite wall. Ino hadn't realised that she had managed to slide down the wall into a sitting position while speaking. Now her legs were in front of her, her knees on a level with her head, which she rested on them as her arms moved to encircle her legs, suddenly devoid of energy.

Her eyes already closed tight, Ino didn't find it hard to slip off into sleep, forgetting about the two pairs of eyes on her.

* * *

Finito! :D

How was it then? Not the best of chapters I'll admit but I've read worse, :P  
Please Review - I really love them!  
But again, more importantly, keep reading! :)

love,  
~WfCP x

**_-edited-_**


	3. Mourning forgotten

Hello again!

So apparently I posted this chapter on my brother's birthday two years ago! Wow, I had no idea this fanfic had been going on for so long! :)

Anyway - I've edited this chapter now grammer/spelling wise. As I said before; the chapters aren't so great here at the start writing-style wise because, obviously, I've improved over the two years. Regardless I wouldn't say that they're unreadable and it would take too much time for me to rewrite the chapters completely so you'll just have to keep reading for the better chapters (well, in my opinion anyway). ;)

Enjoy!

**_-edited-_**

* * *

Her eyes already closed tight, Ino didn't find it hard to slip off into sleep - forgetting about the two pairs of eyes on her.

* * *

**chapter three:**

**Mourning forgotten**

* * *

'Wake up, wake up, wake _up_! Hmm.'

Ino snapped her eyes open as she found herself being shaken none-too-gently. 'Stop it…,' she moaned, flailing with her right hand at whoever it was; still groggy and only half-awake. She blinked and woke up fully a moment later as her wrist was caught firmly and squeezed. A slight pain ran through her and she realised she still needed to heal them. 'Ow!' Ino snapped and glared at whoever had hurt her. Light blue eye. Golden blonde hair obscuring half of the face. 'Deidara…?' Why had he woken her?

'Good. You're awake, hmm,' he said, letting her go and standing a few feet away. Ino looked around her to find that she was in the same position as she had fallen asleep in. Except now it was darker. Looking out of the window Ino frowned; What time was it? It looked like she had been asleep for quite a while.

'Hurry up, hmm.' Ino heard Deidara snap irritably from above her and, before she could figure out what he meant, he had grabbed her arm and hauled her upright, steadying her with his other arm as she winced and nearly fell down again. She was stiff and sore from being in that cramped position for so long and now she could feel the dull ache throbbing at her as she tried to stand.

'Can't you walk?' Deidara asked and Ino shook her head, hating herself for it - but it was only the firm grip on her shoulders at that minute that was keeping her upright anyway. 'Hmm.' She heard him mutter in response and a minute later she was in his arms bridal style as he walked out the door, across the landing and down the stairs. Ino looked up at him in surprise for a minute and then turned her head to the side. What was so urgent that he had to resort to carrying her? _I'm not a little child. I should be able to walk. Dammit! I can stand the pain, right?_

Although Ino didn't like to admit it though it was quite nice in his arms. He wasn't really rushing and the familiar walking pattern was almost comforting. Plus he was also very strong. Ino remembered how he had pulled the kunai out of the tree with relative ease, even though they had been embedded very deeply.

'Where are we going?' Ino asked, stifling a yawn.

'There's someone at the door, hmm,' Deidara muttered back, setting her down when they reached the bottom of the stairs. 'We want you to answer it.'

Ino stretched slightly, a frown on her face. They had woken her for _that_? But then, glancing at the clock, she saw that it was already six thirty and that she should have started running the shop half an hour ago. Swearing at the time, Ino quickly disappeared through the door into the shop and saw a disgruntled Sakura standing outside. Opening the door, Ino greeted Sakura with a half-apologetic smile.

'Sorry, Sakura. I was busy arranging some flowers,' Ino lied, not really sure why she did so. Surely saying she had been asleep wouldn't have given anything away? And it wasn't as if she _liked_ lying to her friends…it just seemed to be coming naturally to her now.

'Ino…' Ino looked up and studied Sakura's face carefully. There was something in her voice, and the way she was avoiding eye contact. Did she know about the two S-Class nins hiding in her house? '…Chouji…'

Ino's breath caught. How could she have _forgotten_? Chouji…

'…He…I'm sorry, Ino - but he…he didn't make it.' Ino felt like someone had kicked her really hard in the gut, winding her so badly that she couldn't properly breath at all. He had…_died_? But…she had actually believed that he would be ok, that he would make it.

'I'm so sorry, Ino…' Sakura said as she watched her friend freeze, a look of disbelief on her usually care-free face. 'None of us wanted it,' she said, laying a hand on Ino's arm. It didn't even register to her. Chouji was…well, only a friend - but a good friend. Despite them fighting quite a bit and always arguing about whether dieting was good or bad and, in general, food - she had loved him as a brother as she did with Shikamaru.

'Surely…surely there's some kind of mistake?' Ino whispered, not ready to admit that Chouji could actually _die_. Maybe disappear for a while. She could stand that - but the fact that he was never ever coming back again scared her more than she would like to let on...because the person who had killed him was in the same house as her - and she was helping him.

'Ino…here, Kurenai told me to give this to you,' Sakura said, holding out a slip of paper. Ino took it but didn't look at it. 'It's her number. She said if you wanted to talk you can just ring her and she'll come over.'

'Kurenai…Shikamaru…'

'Kurenai was going to come and tell you but I met her on the way and said I'd do it. She's with Shikamaru now, trying to comfort him.'

'Is he…crying?' Ino wasn't sure why she asked…just – she had only seen him really cry before when Asuma died.

'No…but I think he might have been.'

Ino nodded and then let Sakura lead her to a chair and sat down. She was still in a state of shock but she knew it would pass and she would cry then. Ino smiled gratefully at Sakura for wanting to be there when that happened so that she could comfort her.

'Do you want anything?' Sakura asked tentatively, laying a comforting hand on her arm. Ino shook her head, then suddenly coughed, her throat dry. So she had lied to Sakura again. She needed a lot of things. Food, water, comfortable sleep, to heal her wrists, to forget the last twenty four hours and to go on vacation.

'You should have something to drink…here, I'll go and get-' Sakura started, but Ino cut across her, remembering the two extra residents. The kitchen was upstairs and she didn't want Sakura to accidentally run into them.

'It's fine, Sakura - I can go myself. I need to do something to take my mind off things anyway.'

Sakura looked like she was going to argue for a moment but then sighed and nodded.  
'Sure you don't want me to come with you?'

_Shannero! Of course I want you to come with me. I hate being alone with those freaks but…I can't get you into danger too…  
_'Y-yeah. I'm fine, do you want anything to drink?'

'I don't mind. Fruit juice if you have any,' Sakura relented and watched as Ino hobbled to the door. 'Ino…?'

'Yeah?'

'Why are you walking like that? Are you sure you're ok? You look hurt…'

'Oh, umm. I'm just a bit stiff from bending over sorting the flowers out,' Ino lied again and flashed her friend a bright smile before walking through the door. Climbing the stairs, Ino had to practically drag herself up. Not because she was so stiff - that was fading now - but because she was so tired. Despite sleeping for about four hours, the mental strain of what was happening to her was becoming too much. Reaching the landing Ino shuffled to the kitchen and opened the door. Grabbing two glasses and filling them with fruit juice proved to be fairly easy; she was just dreading the coming downstairs with them because she wouldn't be able to hold onto the banister to help her.

Walking out of the kitchen and turning towards the stairs, Ino almost dropped the juice as she felt something tap her on the shoulder. Turning slowly so as to not spill the drinks, Ino saw Sasori standing behind her. He didn't look too happy either.

'We wanted you to answer the door and send her away. Not gather together for a woman's 'lets feel sorry for ourselves' meeting.' Ino blinked at him. That was a little harsh, right?

'M-my friend has just _died_!' Ino hissed at him in angry disbelief. Sasori shrugged in reply.

'I don't care.'

Well, she already knew that but it still hurt.  
'Y-you killed him…'

Again, Sasori shrugged; 'Just send her away.'

'What is it to you if I talk with her for a bit? Don't you think that I might need a friend right now?'

'What for?' He really didn't get it, really didn't understand.

'B-because…I-my friend just died. Does that really mean nothing to you? What if Deidara died?'

'Deidara is not a friend. I would be annoyed that I had to get a new partner, that is all.'

'But- he treats you with respect, he calls you 'danna' - does _that_ mean nothing to you?'

'That is why it would be an inconvenience to have to find another partner. That is why I stick with him. Getting another partner to acknowledge me as he does…it would be tiring and unnecessary.'

Ino blinked again. These people…they were…he was…she just couldn't understand it, that way of thinking. She didn't want to. To think that you had no friends, no-one to turn to…it didn't bear thinking about for her.

'Now send her away.'

'I'm different from you. I see people as they are, not as things - and right now I need someone who sees as I do. Let her stay, please - I just want to talk to her.'

'It sounds like you just want someone who you can tell your troubles to, hmm.' Ino looked up to see Deidara leaning in the doorway to her bedroom.

'Which could turn potentially problematic, should you chose to accidentally let it slip about us,' Sasori continued.

'Plus danna has a grudge against that girl, hmm,' Deidara added, causing Ino to look back at him in surprise. A grudge? Against Sakura? What for?

'True. So if you really care about her it might be more humaneto send her away now before she sees me...or I her.'

'But - if I keep her away fro-' Ino stopped as she heard Sakura's voice floating up to her.

'Ino…? Are you ok?' A pause. Ino glanced at Sasori and Deidara and both of them looked back at her. They both knew what she was going to do though and she saw the smug smile that tugged at Sasori's mouth. Deidara just smirked as she glared daggers at them.

'Ino…?' Sakura sounded more worried now, and Ino heard the click of her shoes on the floor as she moved towards the door. She watched as Sasori reached inside his robe and pulled out a summoning scroll. He was serious about this, even if he was still looking at her smugly. With a deeply exasperated sigh, Ino nodded.

'Fine, but five minutes, ok?' She hissed, low enough that Sakura couldn't hear.

'Ino...? I'm coming up...' Sakura called, and Ino's eyes darted desperately to the stairs as Sasori calmly held up three fingers. Ino couldn't negotiate with fingers because of the glasses in her hand. So instead she mouthed, '_four_'.

_This is ridiculous!_ Inner Ino screamed as Sasori shook his head, firmly holding up three fingers still. '_whatever._' Ino mouthed back, then turned quickly before she could see the victorious smile that hovered on Sasori's lips.

'It's ok, Sakura!' Ino called, appearing at the top of the stairs with the glasses and tentatively taking a step down. Realising that most of her cramp had gone now she walked down the others quickly, glad that Sakura had only got a third of the way up.

'Oh, Ino! I was worried about you. What took you so long?'

'I'm sorry, Sakura but I felt so tired I could hardly lift the glasses.' Ino replied, giving one to her friend and looking at the pink hair regretfully. She suddenly had an impulse to ask her what she knew about Sasori because he had said he had a grudge against her, but she was mindful of the time.

'Oh, are you sure you're ok?'

'Yeah, but I think I'll go to bed soon. Do you mind leaving after the drink? I just want to sleep now. Today has been so…stressful. I don't know, but I think I'll feel better if I sleep on it.'

'Oh, right…sure,' Sakura replied, giving her friend a comforting smile. 'You know, the same with me as for Kourenai - if you ever want to talk…well, you know. I'm always ready to listen.'

'Yeah, thanks Sakura - you're a really good friend,' Ino said sincerely, smiling back, and hating herself for hiding things from her.

'I felt really bad when Sasuke left,' Sakura whispered softly, staring at the juice in her glass, and Ino inwardly panicked. She really wanted to listen to her friend and to comfort her. She hadn't ever opened up like this, like Ino knew she was about to - but at the same time there wasn't enough time. Although she didn't have a watch Ino guessed that already more than a minute had gone - and Sasori hadn't been joking.

'I just felt like lying on my bed all day, doing nothing. I never wanted to do anything again, because my life felt empty and I felt like my mind was being crushed there was such a weight on it. My heart too…Kurenai said you just wanted to have some time to think things over. I wanted that too but Ino…if you do, make sure you don't feel like that. Tell yourself to get over it. Force yourself to. Because it really is a pointless feeling, a pointless act. It wastes so much time and when you finally get over it you realise how useless you were then. When you could have been doing something good. It makes you feel really silly. And people who feel like that all day are worse off than those who try their best to do something but keep on failing. Friends can really help with that. I know because I've been through it. If you feel like that then call someone. Or if you can't then talk to someone. Even talking to inanimate objects is better than talking to yourself or no-one. Something about talking out loud helps to clear things up I think.'

Ino looked around frantically for a clock.

'Ino…I heard you talking up there…'

Ino froze. She had? _Oh Shit!  
_'Yeah, what did you hear?' Ino asked casually, trying not to sound as if it meant that much.

'I didn't hear any words, just that you were talking to something. I know it's good to talk to things but Ino…it's much better to open up to _people_. Even if it makes you feel strong keeping things to yourself it's not. It's actually really weak. It takes a lot more courage to open up to a living being and so I'll always listen if you want to talk.'

Ino nodded, then stood and rested her hand on Sakura's shoulder.  
'Thank-you Sakura, that was…_really _helpful. I promise I'll ring you soon and we can talk about it - but right now I just need to sort things out in my head. Do you mind if…'

'If I leave? No, of course not. Thanks for listening, Ino, you're a really great friend.'

Ino smiled, although a hint of sadness was in it.  
'You too, Sakura,' she replied as she led her friend to the door. Closing it after her Ino leant her back against the door, closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Although she didn't know how long it had been it must have been within the limit because Sasori hadn't come in. Apparently though she was wrong.

'Twenty-nine seconds…' Sasori's curt voice snapped her eyes open.

'…over the set limit, hmm,' Deidara finished, leaning lazily against the door frame and watching her. Sasori was sitting in the chair which Sakura had been sitting in a couple of minutes before, looking at the piece of paper that Sakura had given her.

'What?' Ino asked, slightly confused. Sasori looked up from the paper at her question, raising an eyebrow as if asking what she was having trouble understanding. 'I mean…then why…how come you let her go…?'

Sasori looked ever so slightly amused at that. 'What did you think we were going to do to her?'

'Getting her involved would have been unnecessary and troublesome, hmm,' Deidara added; the 'troublesome' reminding Ino of Shikamaru.

'What was the point in the time limit then?'

'Oh - we never agreed on what was going to happen after,' Sasori muttered and returned to his examination of the paper as if that answer was totally satisfactory and had answered her question. Ino glanced up at Deidara, guessing correctly that she wasn't going to get anything more out of Sasori.

'He means that the time limit was just to get you to get her out quickly, hmm,' he supplied readily and then beckoned her to follow him before turning and walking back up the stairs. Ino hesitated before following him, inwardly annoyed that although this was her house she still had to do what they said and that they were treating it as if it was their own. Sasori was even resting his feet up on the table as he twisted the paper in his hands, eyes closed and muttering something under his breath.

_Is he trying to curse it or something?!?_ Inner Ino snapped angrily and glared at him, causing him to crack an eye open and meet her gaze.

'It's not too sensible to stay down here. Especially not in that cloak. Maybe you should go upstairs?'

'Maybe,' he muttered in reply before closing his eye and continuing his 'curse ritual' as Ino thought of it. Sighing, she continued up the stairs after Deidara.

_See my point? He just doesn't listen to me, even though that was a valid piece of advice. And having his feet on the table - grr…this place is going to be trashed by the time my parents get home…_ Well, maybe a bit of exaggeration, but Ino thought she deserved it.

Bumping into something hard Ino swore because she hadn't been looking where she was going and made to step back a few paces - only to be stopped after one step back by a firm hand gripping her shoulder.

'You don't want to do that, hmm.' Deidara told her and, looking back, Ino saw that she was right at the top of the stairs and would have probably fallen down them if she hadn't been stopped.

'Oh, right,' she muttered awkwardly. 'Thanks.' This was her house - surely she should know enough to not fall down the stairs by now? _Shit! Why do I have to make such a fool of myself in front of him?_ Not that it mattered though, she reminded herself harshly.

'And look where you're going, hmm,' Deidara added. Ino nodded and waited for him to let go of her shoulder. For a moment though he just stood there and when Ino looked up at him she found that he was watching her. There was something in his eye that Ino had never seen before mixed with a faraway look that suggested he was thinking about something and wasn't entirely there. Reaching up a hand, Ino waved it in front of his face animatedly and watched as he blinked in surprise and snapped out of whatever he had been dreaming about.

'Sorry, hmm,' he apologised and then took her hand, leading her into the kitchen although she felt a slight hesitation in him at that, too.

'Why are we here?' Ino asked him as she saw him looking at her again like before.

'I don't know, hmm,' he replied distantly, sitting down on one of the chairs.

_What the hell? He dragged me up here just to say that? What is _wrong_ with him?!_

'Are you ok?' Ino asked, sitting next to him and studying him with her head on one side. He didn't look at her so she reached out and touched his shoulder, causing him to start and turn his head to look at her. Ino quickly withdrew her hand as she saw the look in his eye. The same as before but this time it was doubled; tripled even. Something told her that the look was wrong, that it seemed too intense, and so Ino was almost relieved when he turned his head away from her again.

'Don't touch me, hmm,' he said quietly and Ino heard that his voice had changed too. Now it was ever so slightly strained, as if he was trying to hold something back, and shallower than before. Why was he suddenly like this? What had caused him to act like this?

'Deidara?' Ino asked softly and noted that he tensed as she said his name. Why had he reacted like that? 'What's the matter?' He was still tensed. 'Is there anything I can d-'

'Shut up,' he snapped at her quickly, cutting her off. Ino obediently stayed quiet, afraid that she had angered him in some way, but he still sounded strained.

There was a long pause before Ino decided that she would leave him alone to get over whatever was troubling him.  
'Deidara…' She started, intending on telling him she was going in case he got annoyed at her for leaving. The sharp, sudden and loud thud as he slapped the table shocked Ino, causing her heart to leap and butterflies appear in her stomach. Why had he done that? It had been very uncalled for.

'I thought I told you to shut up, hmm,' Ino heard Deidara hiss and she bit her lip, afraid when he turned around and she saw the look in his eye. That look…she still couldn't put her finger on what it was but she knew that it wasn't as much anger and annoyance as she thought it would be. It looked almost like insanity, the intentness with which it was delivered, and Ino subconsciously pressed herself against the back of her chair as he studied her.

Blushing at the gaze Ino forced herself to look at something other than his eye. Seeing movement she looked down at his hand and saw that it seemed to be clenching and unclenching. Maybe he _was_ angry? After a few more moments his hand stilled, and Ino glanced up to see him looking away from her at the window. His face looked pained and instinctively Ino felt herself wanting to heal him. She held back though because he had told her not to touch him. As the silence stretched Ino found herself feeling increasingly more useless - and in the end she shifted her gaze to the window too, watching as the sun set.

'It's beautiful, isn't it?' She whispered finally, forgetting that he didn't want her to speak - and although she didn't receive a reply Ino felt some of the tension lift at her words. As the last rays disappeared Deidara sighed beside her and when Ino looked she saw that the glint of earlier had left his eye.

'Sorry, hmm,' he apologised although he looked at the table when he said it. Then he got up and left, leaving Ino staring after him and wondering what had happened. It seemed too…well, she didn't really know what it seemed like. Confusing, she supposed. Everything was becoming confusing lately and, just as she thought that, Ino remembered Chouji and she felt like crying. Why had she forgotten when she had been with Deidara?

'Whose number is this?' Sasori's voice reached her from the doorway and Ino raised her head to see the red-head holding up the piece of paper Sakura had given her. It had taken him this long to come and ask her?

'Kurenai's,' Ino replied quietly, wondering where her spirit had gone to. Normally she would be feisty and joking, full of life. She felt dead compared to that now. Devoid of energy and willpower. If he'd asked her to jump out of the window now she would probably have complied she felt so low.

'What did Deidara do?' Sasori asked, still monotonous and bored. _He knew Deidara was here? Has he been spying? If so…how long?_ _Then again, It's not like there was anything to see._ Ino was surprised that her inner self was so dejected at this.

'Nothing.'

Sasori came further into the room and sat down where Deidara had. Ino had a feeling that he would be more talkative though - which was surprising considering she had thought that he was the quiet one.

'Then why are you depressed?' Sasori got straight to the point though and didn't bother with idle chit-chat. Then again, when had she ever had idle chit-chat with Deidara?

'My friend died,' Ino replied, not even awake enough to be surprised that her voice was almost as monotonous as Sasori's.

'And?'

'I don't know. I'm tired.'

'There are two beds in this house.'

'I know, I live here.' _Gods, he checked?!_

'You will be sleeping with me.'

'…' _WHAT?!?!_

'Deidara has already locked himself in.'

'Then get him out. It's my house - surely I get to chose where I sleep?'

'No.'

'Why not?' _Kami-sama, HELP ME!_ Ino found that despite her tiredness, this new information seemed to have sparked some kind of defiant energy in her.

'Because you are obliged to do what I ask you to.'

_Shit,_ Ino worried,_ how do I get out of this one?  
_'I'll sleep on the floor.'

'No.'

'Why not?' _What is this freak trying to play at?! And haven't we gone down this line of conversation before…?_

'Because you are obliged-'

'To do what you ask me to. I know, but _why_ are you asking me to?'

'Because you need to sleep in a bed. You're still sore from when you fell asleep on the floor earlier.'

'Why should you care?'

'Ino…' Ino looked at him in surprise; she couldn't remember him using her name before. '…I'm a puppet. My senses are deadened because of it. What exactly do you think I am going to do to you?'

'You're a puppet?' Ino realised there was still a lot of things she didn't know about these two if she didn't even know something simple like that. In response Sasori pulled back his sleeve to reveal that just passed the wrist his arm became wooden. Then he let the fabric cover up his arm again.

'Why do you think Deidara said I was practically immortal? I don't age because of this arrangement; but that's enough,' Sasori ended abruptly and stood up. 'Coi.'

Ino sighed but got up too and followed him. Not noticing that Sasori had stopped at the door to her bedroom, Ino continued down the hall towards her parents bedroom until his curt question stopped her short;  
'Where are you going?'

Turning very slowly Ino stared at him with something akin to horror in her eyes.  
'You're not serious, right?' _That bastard locked himself in with the double bed?!?_

'Do you think I'm being funny?' His voice told her very clearly that he was in no way joking.

'But…'

'What does it matter?' Sasori cut across her uncaringly as he opened the door and walked inside, leaving it open for her to follow. Moving to stand in the doorway Ino looked at the familiar room and her eyes rested uneasily on the bed. No way was she sharing that with an unnerving puppet-man.

'No.'

Sasori raised a thin eyebrow at her; 'I repeat, what do you think I am going to do?'

Ino didn't want to tell him what she thought - but even if he didn't _mean_ to do anything, in such a small space it would be hard _not_ to do anything.

'No. I would rather sleep on the floor again.'

'I'm not having you sleep on the floor.' _Why not?_ 'I don't give a damn about your comfort, but I don't want us to have to carry you tomorrow should we need to move.'

_Uncaring bastard._ A second later and Ino ducked as something flew towards her head. Whatever it was hit the wall behind her. She looked up to see Sasori gazing coldly at her but he didn't have any shruiken or kunai in his hands so she uneasily turned her back to him to see what had been thrown. Lying on the floor was a key and, picking it up, she turned back and shot him a questioning glare.

'It's your choice,' the red-head replied emotionlessly before walking over to the bed and sitting down, waiting for her reply.

* * *

Finito! :D

So what did you think? I know Deidara was acting a bit wierd in this chapter but it's because he's started to fall for Ino but doesn't think he should!  
:( aww.

Reviewers are loved very much!

Love,  
~WfCP

**_-edited-_**


	4. Comfort

Hello again!

I've managed to edit this chapter as well although, again, this is still too early in the story for me to say the style is quite to my taste but nevermind. It's got some fluffy DeiIno bits in so hopefully you fans of the couple will like it regardless. :)

Enjoy!

**_-edited-_**

* * *

Lying on the floor was a key and, picking it up, she turned back and shot him a questioning glare.

'It's your choice.' The puppet man replied emotionlessly, then walked over to the bed and sat down, waiting for her reply

_

* * *

_

**chapter four:**

**Comfort.**

* * *

Share a bed which was only meant to hold one person anyhow with the practical, emotionless and freaky puppet-man or sleep with an unpredictable, almost feminine looking blonde man who had stolen her first kiss.

_This is one of the worst choices I have ever had to make. Why can't one of _them_ just sleep on the floor and let me have the bed? After all - if Sasori is a puppet then why does he need to sleep on a bed? In fact does he even need to sleep at all?_

'Thanks,' Ino muttered though, holding the key up ever so slightly to show what her choice would be - then she turned to walk out the door. Before she could leave though Ino heard Sasori mutter something that confused her no end.

'You'll regret that.'

Ino opened her mouth to speak but couldn't think of anything to say. What had he meant by that? Was he angry at her? Ino couldn't tell either way because his eyes were closed and face blank. So, shutting the door quietly behind her, Ino made her way to her parents room. She hesitated outside of it, wondering whether she should try and sneak in or alert him as to her arrival. Not wanting to anger him though she simply pushed the door open and looked in. It wasn't often that she went into this room although it wasn't off limits to her either. Plain and boring, the bed was actually the highlight of the room - being one of the big four-poster beds that everyone seems to want.

Gently closing the door behind her Ino walked towards the bed and stood at the side, suddenly not wanting to disturb him. He hadn't moved when she had come in and Ino wondered whether he was asleep. If so…why was she allowed in here? She suddenly realised what an opportune position she was in. If he hadn't woken thus far, she could easily kill him. Then she would have killed an Akatsuki member - that would more than atone for helping them into Konoha in the first place. It would prove her loyalty and she could escape out of the window as soon as she had done it. Just a simple hand signature and she would be in control of his body.

Despite these facts though Ino knew that she wouldn't do it. There were still questions she had to ask. _But that's not all…_ Ino shook her head, not wanting to think about it further; but even so she couldn't avoid finishing that thought, _I liked that kiss._ Slipping under the sheets Ino found herself closer than she would like, Deidara having chosen the middle of the bed and leaving her without much room.

'If you're uncomfortable then come closer. You don't have to perch on the end, hmm.' His voice startled Ino who had been convinced that he was sleeping.

'Can't you move up?' She snapped back, her voice harder than she had meant it to be in an effort to hide her surprise. Deidara raised an eyebrow at her harsh tones.

'A bit touchy, hmm.' He continued to eye Ino carefully as she glared at him.

'Please,' Ino gritted out forcefully, not breaking the glare.

'You didn't stress it that time.' Ino heard Deidara mutter, echoing the words he had spoken in the woods before setting her free. Deciding that she wouldn't answer, Ino merely intensified her gaze.

Rolling onto his back and lazily resting his head on his arms, Deidara kept his gaze fixed on the top of the bed as he struck up a deal.  
'Ok. But you'll have to do something for me in return, hmm.'

Ino froze. What did he want her to do? She found herself painfully aware that he had taken her first kiss and of how it had felt. _Don't be stupid - I hated it!_ Ino tried to tell herself but she knew she was lying.  
'Wh-what do you want me to do?' She asked with uncharacteristic quietness, mouth dry.

When Deidara turned his head to look at her Ino found that he had that look back in his eye again and blushed as he ran his eyes over her, resting on her face as the majority of her body was covered by the duvet. Ino considered asking him if he was ok again but remembered that that hadn't gone down too well last time. Instead she stayed still and held her breath, wondering what he was going to do. As if on cue, Deidara shut his eye and stayed like that for about a minute. When he reopened his eye Ino saw that the look had gone, just like before.

'Just let your hair down, hmm,' he muttered, then looked away. Ino blinked at him; _Just let your hair down…what kind of an order was that? And why?_

Sitting up, Ino reached back and took out her hair band, letting her hair fall loose. It was quite long, reaching a fair way down her back and almost to her bottom. Seeing Deidara watching her, Ino put her head on one side in a questioning manner before raising an eyebrow.  
'What?'

Deidara shook his head.  
'Nothing, hmm.' He looked away.

'Well…are you going to move?' Ino asked, more as a prompt than an actual question - the thought of him not keeping his side of the bargain not something she had even considered. Rolling over, Deidara gave her more room and Ino sighed in relief. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad night after all. Still, not one of her better ones either.

Minutes later and still not asleep, Ino glanced at the missing nin lying beside her. His face was buried in the pillow so she couldn't tell if he was still awake or not - but his breathing seemed regular, so she guessed that he was. His hair though was still held up in a ponytail, proving him to be somewhat hypocritical by asking her to let hers down; you weren't supposed to sleep with your hair up anyway - it was uncomfortable. _Maybe I should let it down now he's asleep,_ Ino found herself thinking conspiratorially; after all _he'd_ made her let hers down.

So, with a small smile hovering on her lips, Ino reached out her hand to find that she was just out of reach. Pausing for a moment, Ino decided that she would just have to move quickly before he could stop her. A moment later Ino fairly pounced on Deidara, grabbing at his ponytail. Hearing him give a muffled, surprised sound, she found herself fall to the side as he sat up quickly - but she was still holding his hair and a painful moment later Deidara found himself jerked back down. This time Ino managed to get his hair band and grinned as she pulled it out. Not before he had rolled over to try and stop her though...rolled right onto _her_, that is.

Ino grinned, her breathing slightly heavier as she held up his hair band in front of his face and stuck out her tongue. Then she dropped her hand back down and examined her 'work'. Although she wasn't going to say so he almost seemed _more_ feminine with his hair down. At the same time he had the distinctly masculine look that had helped her distinguish in the first place, besides his voice that is, and his hair, although still long, wasn't as long as hers - only reaching to a bit past his shoulders.

'What was that for, hmm?' He asked, a bemused expression on his normally benign face. Ino found herself disappointed that he had cut into her examination; he had taken his Akatsuki cloak off and now wore only a black short-sleeved top over a fishnet shirt with slightly longer sleeves, reaching to a few inches above his elbow. Anything below that was covered but Ino could see that without his cloak he really had quite a nice body; a body that was currently above hers, only raised slightly by the hands that were either side of her head. He raised an eyebrow at the lack of reply and Ino blinked again, coming back to the situation at hand quite suddenly.

'I-I was bored,' Ino supplied lamely, causing the eyebrow to raise another few millimetres. Then he sighed and his face returned to normal. Although Ino could have been imagining it, she thought that he had bitten down on an answer back then and instinctively she wanted to know what it was.

'That's a stupid reason. When _I'm_ bored I don't randomly attack the nearest person to me, hmm!' Ino noticed that it looked like Deidara was reconsidering his answer to see if it really was true or not but still felt like she should justify herself anyway.

'I didn't _attack_ you! I just wanted to see what you looked like with your hair down!' Ino cried indignantly and then mentally kicked herself as she saw a brief look of surprise cross Deidara's features.

'Why? Hmm.' The seriousness made Ino uncomfortable.

'I, err, um…' She muttered, avoiding his eye. 'Just…you made me and…errm, well, you're not supposed to sleep with your hair up and…um…'

'Do I look better with my hair down?' He interrupted her, causing Ino to glance at him in surprise. _Why is he asking me?_ Ino found herself looking up and studying his face once more. Because she wasn't used to him with his hair down she thought it looked a bit strange - but not overly different to be honest.

'You look…about the same,' she replied hesitantly.

'Which is…?' _Why can't he just drop this? Why is he so bothered about it? He's even _acting_ girly with all this vanity!_ Ino considered telling him the truth - that although still slightly effeminate, he actually looked quite hot. This wasn't the time though, not when he was practically lying on top of her in bed.

'You look, um, average I guess,' Ino finally lied, playing safe, but she avoided looking at him as she said it.

'No, hmm. What do you really think?'

'Why do you want to know?' Ino snapped, her head still on the side so that she could avoid looking at him.

'Look at me, hmm.' Ino felt compelled to obey him although she wasn't entirely sure why; he sounded almost upset. 'This is important to me yeah, so please answer.'

Ino blinked - had she heard him correctly? Had he really said 'please'? He was an S-Class missing nin for gods sake - surely he shouldn't be saying that?

_I've got to lie. I've got to lie. I've got to lie, _Ino thought desperately as she looked into his one clear blue orb.  
'…' Ino contemplated what to say but found that she couldn't concentrate properly; _Just tell the truth! After all, isn't 'honesty the best policy'? It can't harm anyway._

'You look…good,' Ino replied at last, adding a rather indifferent tone in to make it seem casual; 'but I've seen better,' she added as an afterthought, maybe a bit too quickly.

''Good' hmm? Then maybe you won't mind if…' Ino heard Deidara mutter quietly, almost to himself, leaving it hanging. A moment later and he collapsed onto her, causing Ino to gasp in surprise as the air left her lungs. What in all hells was he doing?

'Sorry Ino-san but my arms were killing me, hmm.' Ino heard Deidara's muffled explanation from somewhere in the pillow very near her head. With his body weight added now on top of hers Ino felt very strange. Despite him being quite thin she guessed that what there was must be muscle because he was actually quite heavy although the strain on her chest might just have been due to the fact that she was holding her breath and had been for the past minute or more. Letting it out Ino felt herself shudder slightly and realised that her whole body was tensed. _Why am I so awkward? He's only lying on top of me,_ Ino tried to reason but it still felt uncomfortable.

They lay there for quite a bit longer, neither really sure what to do next. Then,  
'Deidara…?' Ino started tentatively and felt him tense although he didn't respond verbally. '…why did you call me Ino-san?'

There was a pause. Then Ino felt him move his head and his warm breath against her ear.  
'Sorry, hmm. Didn't you like it?' He muttered absentmindedly and his voice held something in it similar to when he had had the look in his eye. Ino wondered whether that was back again now but she didn't reply; partly because she wasn't sure if she liked it or not and partly because she didn't want to break the silence further. Somehow this position, this feeling, everything about it - it was comforting and she was tired. The two body heats mixing also helped to increase her drowsiness.

_Kusou, I can't fall asleep like this! I have to get him off me first but, well, I guess I don't really want to in a way. I know I should do but it _is_ confortable and it's not like we're actually doing anything..._

Ino inwardly admitted defeat. It was true, nothing was happening, so why was she so stupidly worried about the whole thing? Shifting her body slightly so she was more comfortable, Ino failed to notice the catch of his breath and gave a silent yawn before closing her eyes. Without realising she was doing so, Ino murmured softly, 'Good-night, Deidara-kun…', and then drifted off to sleep with a small smile resting on her lips, unaware of the tightening of his hands on her sides as she said his name.

* * *

Ino woke up a little later to find that it was still dark and she was still in the same position as before. This time though Deidara really _was_ asleep and Ino lay there for several minutes just listening to his breathing. The steadiness was calming somehow and it took a lot of effort on her part to motivate herself to move. Sliding out from under him carefully, Ino slipped off the bed and stood at the side, glancing back at him to make sure he hadn't woken. He was still asleep so Ino sighed and walked to the window, opening it carefully to allow the cool breeze to caress her face.

Staring out over Konoha, Ino thought about what she was doing; she was a criminal now. If she was ever found out she would be shunned completely, maybe even banished. Whatever the Akatsuki were here for it was not good; nothing about the Akatsuki was good. And yet she had the chance now to go and tell the Hokage, to even kill one of them potentially.

_But if I tell the Hokage then I will have to admit that I let them in. She might be sympathetic because I was forced to in a way - but I would still be looked down upon to a degree, maybe even be punished for what I did. __If I kill him…_

'I'm cold, hmm.' Ino whirled around to see Deidara sitting up in the bed, watching her.

'Oh sorry, Deidara-san,' Ino sighed, turning back round to shut the window. She continued to look out at Konoha though, thinking about the town and the people in it. When Orichimaru had attacked it had been horrible and all those innocent people - even a lot of the ninja's - had died. Ino did not want a repeat of that. So why was she doing nothing to stop it?

'I'm still cold, hmm,' Deidara's voice once more cut across her thoughts and Ino frowned before turning to look at him again. He was standing a few feet away now although Ino hadn't heard him get up.

'I've closed the window,' she replied, a tad confused. He didn't reply, just continued watching her, so Ino took a last glance out the window and then came over to him.

'What's the matter? Are you ill?'

'Maybe, hmm.'

'Maybe? What kind of answer is that? Can I do anything to help?'

'No, just go back to bed.'

Ino felt him grab her wrist and lead her back to the bed but, 'Why? I'm not tired anymore!' Ino protested, trying to break free of his hold to no avail.

'Stop being so awkward, hmm,' Deidara replied darkly, ever so slightly annoyed. Ino tried to wrench her arm away once more, ignoring him, and a moment later she found herself lifted off the floor and dumped onto the bed. A creak and a shift of the mattress a few seconds later alerted Ino to the fact that he had joined her.

'Why can't I get up if I'm not tired?' Ino snapped, pushing herself up into a sitting position and turning around to face him.

'Because _I'm_ tired, hmm.'

Ino frowned in confusion. What did that have to do with her?  
'So? … I don't get why that means I have to stay here.'

'Surely you're not that stupid? You know too much so I can't let you out of my sight, hmm.'

Ino sighed and looked down at the bed sheets. That made sense but still…what was she supposed to do then? 'Fine, whatever,' she muttered grudgingly before lying down with her back to him. There was a long pause and then Ino heard the bed creak as he moved. Not long after, an arm snaked itself around her waist and she felt his warm breath on the back of her neck.

'…what are you doing?' Ino managed to hiss, her heart beating too fast for her liking and her breath caught in her throat.

'Why are you afraid, hmm? You weren't earlier.'

That was true. _Why _am_ I afraid? He's not done anything bad yet._ The 'yet' though suggested there was something bad coming and perhaps it was this, as opposed to the immidiate 'danger', that Ino was afriad of. She knew the fear was based on unsound logic though and so was loathe to answer him. 'That didn't answer my question,' she told him bluntly instead.

'Ditto, hmm.'

There was a long pause after that in which Ino just lay there, the steady warm breath on her neck beginning to get to her. _Is he asleep? _She wondered curiously, perhaps hoping that she could shift away from him if he was; _I'd better check though._ Reluctantly Ino twisted in his grip so that she had turned to face him in one fluid motion. Blue eyes connected.

_Ah. Awake then. _There was another long silence after that and Ino averted her gaze from his face, glancing around for something else she could look at instead.

'Do you find me unattractive?' Deidara sounded confused and Ino glanced back at him with similar confusion.

'No.' The word left her mouth without her really thinking about it but it was the truth.

'Then why are you avoiding me, hmm?' That sounded strange considering their position but Ino guessed that what he was really referring to was the way she was refusing to look at him. Again though Ino didn't know how to answer because she wasn't even sure of the answer herself. Instead she continued to look into his eye, lips unconsciously parted as she half-heartedly thought of something to say - but, like before, she didn't want to break the silence because she felt safe in it.

Feeling a cool breeze brush against her shoulders from when she had opened the window Ino shivered and subconsciously pressed closer to Deidara, who in turn wrapped his other arm around her and held her tighter.  
'Cold, hmm?' Ino heard him murmur and nodded.

Even though she knew she was too close to him she didn't really want to break free of the hold. _Damn, I'm acting like a little child! My dignity should be more important than petty comforts. I'm seventeen now after all!_ Suddenly embarrased, Ino manoeuvred her hands onto his chest and pressed against him in an attempt to break free.

'Let me go!' Ino muttered when her escape failed, trying to sound annoyed but ending up as just tired.

'Why, hmm? You might 'escape' again,' Deidara replied, and Ino got the impression that he was smirking; 'Besides it's hardly worth the effort; We're both tired now so just go to sleep, hmm.'

'I'm not a little kid so stop talking to me like that!' Ino snapped in response to his almost condescending tone.

'Then stop acting like one, hmm.'

Ino fell silent at the brutal reply. She liked to think of herself as quite mature generally - and something like that hurt. In the silence that followed Ino closed her eyes and sighed. There was no point in lashing out in a temper - not that she would probably be able to anyway - because it would make her look like a little kid again. In fact anything she did might do so Ino resolved to do nothing. Besides Deidara was right - the position _was_ comfortable and, with her eyes closed, Ino felt her earlier sleepiness return to her. Almost forgetting where she was, Ino felt contented for the first time in a long while.

* * *

Finito! :D

So how was it? Fluffy enough for you? Probably not but nevermind, :P.  
Personally I didn't enjoy editing it; it was a bit too cringe-worthy although that might just be because it's something I wrote a year or two ago and I tend to cringe at things I've written a long time ago. Ahaha ;).

Anyway I should stop being so self-degrading about these early chapters. I hope _you_ enjoyed it and, if you did, please feel free to review! The next chapter is somewhat similar but a bit more smutty, ;p.

Love,  
~WfCP

**_-edited-_**


	5. Stalemate

Hey again!

I posted this on _my_ birthday two years ago now - lols, how sad. Nevermind! At least I finally got around to editing this one, :).

Hope you enjoy it; the next chapter is a bit angsty so a complete change of tune from this one! Anyway,  
read &enjoy!

**_-edited-_**

* * *

Almost forgetting where she was, Ino felt contented for the first time in a long while.

* * *

**chapter five:**

**Stalemate.**

* * *

Deidara woke to find that it was lighter, the early morning rays of the sun shining through the window and illuminating the room in a soft golden light. Indeed the light almost seemed to dance around the room and, in particular, on the face of his companion.

_Ino, hmm._ _I stole your first kiss and now I'm sleeping with you! _A brief smile passed across his lips. She really was a very pretty girl and she looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. Peaceful…

…she had looked different last night, yesterday. More alive and…he didn't really want to admit that he had felt something towards her.

_It was just because she's pretty,_ he told himself firmly but something kept nagging at him. _I see many pretty girls, so why was it so hard to conceal my feelings for this one? __No, I don't _have_ feelings for her, hmm, _he reminded himself angrily but Deidara knew that that wasn't strictly true. He had kept her alive because he was bored and because she wouldn't cause any harm - but when she had insulted him…normally he would have killed her but something had stopped him.

_What was it, hmm? __Maybe I just thought she was pretty,_ Deidara decided, apparently his answer to most of the questions he couldn't answer about Ino.

So he had taught her a lesson. That was all it was supposed to be - just a lesson. So why had it been so hard to stop? He hadn't meant to keep kissing her, that wasn't his intention at all - it had just sort-of _happened_. He had managed to cover it up rather well, Deidara thought - ever since that kiss though Deidara had found that he wanted to kiss her more, to _do_ more.

_They're just thoughts, hmm. It's only because I haven't touched anyone in that way for a long time,_ Deidara justified himself although it didn't really satisfy him. Ino began to shift slightly in his arms and when Deidara looked at her he saw that her face had darkened and that she looked scared, her eyes and lips pressed firmly closed.

'No...no...stop...no...not him...Chouji...CHOUJI!' Ino muttered a moment later, the last word called out louder, and she gave a sort of convulsion after it before falling still once more. Deidara watched silently; it looked as if she had had a nightmare of sorts, although a rather quick one at that. He wondered whether he should have woken her but she had gone back to sleeping peacefully again, leaving only the memory of it behind. Chouji…that had been the team member of hers that had died, right? Or at least he thought that that was what the pink-haired kunoichi had said; Sakura. Although Deidara wouldn't admit it he kind of wished that Ino would speak _his_ name with such intensity. Would she be as unhappy if it had been _him_ who had died?

_I could make her speak my name like that…_ Deidara thought as he studied her face. It had the potential to be cheeky, he mused, but right now she just looked vulnerable; which, in a way, made her seem cute. _She didn't put up much of a fight last night,_ Deidara remembered, the realisation puzzling him. Not that he had really done anything to her but most girls would have resisted more. _Strange…I thought she looked quite feisty. Maybe my eyesight is going._

Deidara gently ran one of his hands up her back and moved it so it rested lightly on her cheek. _She called me Deidara_-kun _too. Why?_ The movement didn't result in any reaction on her part so he softly followed her jaw line with his index finger. _She let me kiss her, didn't try to stop me…_ Ino shifted slightly at the touch but remained sleeping. Deidara's finger moved up to trace the perfect shape of her lips instead. _When given the choice I heard Sasori offer she wanted to sleep with _me, _not him…_ Ino mewed softly at the touch and parted her lips slightly although Deidara knew she wasn't really awake yet. Leaning in, Deidara let his warm breath meet hers, barely a centimetre apart as he completed his hypothesis; s_he is awkward to talk about my looks and her obvious innocent concern for me is quite touching. Almost as if she…likes me, hmm._

Deidara smirked and then closed the gap between them, gently taking her lips in his as his hand moved to tangle itself in her soft hair. He could always say he was waking her up if she complained anyway - and he just wanted to see if he was correct.

* * *

Ino _had_ had a nightmare, even though it was over quickly, about Chouji dying. It was an obvious nightmare after what she had heard but still painful none-the-less. Sasori had been in it and had used chakra strings to control Chouji and make him commit suicide by using his kunai and cutting himself to bits. Through it all, several words were apparent in the background if you listened. They were,

'_She would make a good puppet, don't you think, Deidara_?' Sasori's voice, playing over and over again the words he had said when they met. They scared her.

Ino hadn't gone back to sleep properly then. Rather a state of consciousness where she was too scared to sleep, but couldn't wake either. So it was as if she was asleep but she could control her dreams - like in the morning when you first 'wake up' and you come into a state of rest between sleeping and waking.

And, even though the dream still haunted her, Ino felt contented. She was warm and felt lazy, as if she was numb and couldn't move - but it was a nice sort of numbness. So she didn't feel the hand moving up her back, and only vaguely registered it resting lightly on her cheek. A slight tingling was received from her jaw line as something traced it gently. And the touch on her lips produced the helpless result that Deidara had observed with a smirk. Vaguely Ino wondered who was touching her but she still felt somewhat dreamy - although with every passing second Ino found herself being dragged further back to reality.

By the time Ino felt a new but vaguely familiar caress on her lips, she felt about ready to rejoin the real world. Although right then it didn't feel very real. _In fact,_ thought Ino as she cracked one eye open to be met with silky golden hair, _this feels extremely _sur_real!_

_Maybe I'm dreaming still? _Ino wondered doubtfully. It felt different to a dream…_although_, Ino thought with a slight blush, _It's probably something I _would_ dream about!_

Renewed vigour in the kiss reminded Ino of what was happening anyway. _So if this isn't a dream…why is he kissing me? _Ino didn't bother to mention who 'he' was; the hair gave it away too well. Ino hesitated but not for long; she wasn't going to put her second kiss to waste! Instead she pressed back against his lips slightly, returning the pressure, and opened both her eyes although it didn't make much difference. Still golden hair and a bit of pale/slightly tanned skin. A moment later and Ino returned her attention to his lips, closing her eyes so she could concentrate better. This time, _she_ wanted to be the one in control.

Ino had read romance books and watched romance films…but for some reason she now found it hard to recall any helpful tips to help her gain the upper hand. Deidara seemed to be working from experience as he bit down on her bottom lip repeatedly, pausing to lick and caress it with his tongue when it began to hurt too bad, and demanding entrance. Ino was finding this more than mildly distracting as she tried to figure out a plan of her own, whilst resisting the urge to moan under her opponent's vicious onslaught.

The only things Ino could really remember from any movies she had watched was people pushing each other around and undoing buttons - something Ino didn't really want to do considering they were already on the bed. However both of those things included their hands - and Ino figured that she might be able to distract Deidara enough to win without sparking anything if she was careful about it. However, not properly knowing the situation or motives, Ino didn't understand how difficult the latter would be.

First Ino pinpointed her hands, which were currently on Deidara's chest (where she had left them after trying to get him off her the night before). Then she tried to work out what to do with them. A particularly hard bite made her wince and use all her willpower to avoid gasping as she felt something warm and wet trickle down her chin. He had drawn blood? Ino had momentarily forgotten that Deidara was an S-class missing nin. Making his 'opponent' bleed was nothing alien to him and Ino guessed that this situation was probably no different.

His lips left hers momentarily and Ino felt something moist run over her chin as he licked up the blood. Taking it to be a stalemate for the moment as they weren't even kissing, Ino sucked her own lip thoughtfully, tasting the almost metallic flavour of the blood in her mouth. His hand shifted in her hair and Ino realised that she hadn't even noticed it was there. His other hand, now she was aware of them, was in the small of her back, both of them positioned as if to stop her getting away.

Feeling his tongue back on her lips again, Ino stopped sucking her lip. The blood had gone by now anyway, not being a terribly big flow to start with. As he ran his tongue over the cut as if searching for more blood, Ino felt like laughing at him.

So, turning her head so that he couldn't cheat and gain access when she spoke, Ino had to suppress a giggle as she felt something wet against her ear. Obviously he hadn't been expecting the sudden move.

'That wasn't funny, hmm.' Ino heard Deidara mutter into her ear, annoyed. Ino settled for a small smile. Opening her eyes, she snuck a quick, cheeky glance at Deidara but was, again, met only with his Golden hair.

_It looks so beautiful right now,_ Ino thought blissfully, the cheeky smile gone from her face, leaving a rather passive expression in it's place. _I wonder if it looks like this every morning… _She mused. Ino stiffened slightly as she felt his tongue make contact with her ear again. This time it wasn't an accident as he caressed it almost thoughtfully, making Ino stiffen once more at the touch. Ino stifled a whispered moan as he probed further in, and she could imagine him smirking at her bad control as she let forth a weak whimper. Even when he stopped her ear was still wet, making it feel like he hadn't stopped at all. The same went for her still moist chin.

'No matter, hmm,' he whispered, his breath tickling her ear and it's heightened senses. Ino's back arched in an attempt not to giggle at the feeling, and the movement made her more vulnerable then she was to start with as his hand unintentionally slid further down her back.

_Wait! It's supposed to be _my_ tactic to use __hands to distract _him! Ino realised indignantly and immediately acted, reaching up to grasp the back of his neck with two hands and crushing his lips back onto hers as she turned her head back to face him. Keeping one hand planted firmly on the back of his neck, Ino moved the other up to tangle in his hair. It was as soft and silky as it looked, and Ino almost lost control of the kiss as she felt it. Then she remembered that if she let the kiss become too loose he could bite her again and draw more blood, gaining himself an advantage.

Keeping her eyes open this time, but narrowed, Ino applied more pressure to the kiss, hoping that he would crack first. Her hope became a shattered dream in literally a few seconds as she heard, to her greatest surprise, a moan of appreciation at her efforts and lost control, allowing him to up the pressure to an amount that she almost couldn't stand. Luckily Ino still had a grip on his hair and pulled on it as a distraction for him. Unfortunately it turned out as a distraction for her too as he rolled them over so he was on top of her and bit her lip. Again.

Ino immediately turned her head to the side as she felt more blood leak out of the cut and down her chin/cheek. 'You're like a one trick pony!' Ino gasped, annoyed that he had drawn blood again.

'I know a _lot_ more than just one trick, hmm,' he murmured, closer now than before, and something hiding just beneath the surface of his words.

Ino was already beginning to feel tired again so didn't comment on the suggestiveness behind the words.

'Now…' Deidara murmured after a pause. Ino felt him cup her cheek and turn her to face him. For a moment their eyes met and Ino found herself curious as to why he only ever showed one eye. Even with his hair down the bang hung naturally to hide the left side of his face. Cautiously reaching up Ino touched his hair, intending to brush it aside. Before she could though the hand that had been supporting her back before now came and clamped her wrist firmly to stop her.

Seeing her innocent confusion however, Deidara seemed to soften slightly. 'If you win, hmm.'

Ino just nodded, still studying his face. She hadn't had a proper look at him since she had last been awake and she had missed his features. Even if he looked a bit like her with his hair and all…that would just be a testament to 'birds of a feather fly together' - the psychological counter argument for 'opposites attract'.

Feeling more blood trickle out of the side of her mouth, Ino darted her tongue out to lick it up. It tickled, making her feel uncomfortable - although not as uncomfortable as when she felt Deidara's tongue on hers, and withdrew it quickly. She had momentarily forgotten that he had wanted the blood and so stayed still as he licked the rest up, resisting the obvious urge to suck her lip as he hadn't been pleased about that last time. She didn't want a scar on her lip from continuous opening like she feared it might do.

Once he had moved up to suck her lip for the last of the blood, Ino wondered briefly what she was doing. She banished the thought though with a simple _He started it! _Determined not to lose this time, Ino jerked her hand in his grip, expecting him to hold it tighter, but instead he just let it go. Surprised, but only for a moment, Ino placed it on his back, and pressed his lips harder onto hers by the hand still buried in his hair. Unsurprisingly, Deidara didn't complain at this.

Knowing that it wouldn't be enough to 'win' though, Ino began to run her hand lightly over his back, using her index finger to draw meaningless patterns that were to serve as distraction while she resorted to using his tactic and chewing on his bottom lip hopefully.

What scared her the most, Ino realised, was that she wasn't doing this so that she could have the satisfaction of winning, but rather because she actually wanted the intimacy. He had already explored her mouth back in the woods, but she had been too shocked then to try and return the kiss. It was, Ino decided, about her turn.

Pressure on the hand she had currently positioned in his hair warned her that he was trying to retreat but she wouldn't let him, annoyed that he was giving up so easily. Instead, she felt her own head pulled back a bit to give him some room to breathe.

'Really…' Ino heard Deidara mutter as she closed her eyes as temporary rest. 'If I didn't know better I would say you were enjoying this, hm.' He finished and, cracking one eye open, Ino registered the slight smirk hovering on his lips.

'Shut up,' she muttered back darkly and glared at him. Again she felt an urge to brush his hair away but decided that he probably wouldn't let her.

'Hmm…grumpy now?' Deidara taunted, only to have the smile wiped off his face as Ino brought her leg up and attempted to kick him between the legs - failing because her leg was grabbed and twisted to the side before she could succeed. Throwing a punch instead, Ino wasn't surprised when that, too, was stopped. But that didn't make her any less annoyed.

Seeing that Deidara had both his hands occupied, Ino brought her other hand round to contact with his face, but ended up hitting thin air as he dodged.

_This is unfair!_ Ino inwardly screamed, and struggled against his grip, thrashing around wildly without any real direction.

'Stop it, hmm.' She vaguely heard Deidara hiss and the coldness in his voice didn't sound like a good sign. Ino continued to hit out until she felt her hand collide with something - and straight afterwards her wrist was grabbed and forced back above her head with her other hand.

'Kusou!' Ino heard the swear word and frowned slightly. She had been brought up with a fairly decent background and didn't really like people swearing much.

'Look what you did, hmm!'

Ino opened an eye after realising that she couldn't move and saw Deidara peering down at her. The side of his face that was uncovered was rapidly turning a bruised red/purple colour, and didn't look good. Being a medic nin Ino's first instinct was to heal it - but then she remembered that he had deserved it.

_For what?For mocking me?_

'…' Ino didn't really know what to say or if she was even expected to say anything. After a long time of that, Deidara seemed to give up waiting for whatever he was expecting (an apology most likely - hah!)and let her go, getting off her and rolling over to stare darkly at the wooden beams across the top of the bed. Ino blinked up at them too, wearing a rather blank expression.

Finally Ino glanced over to see that Deidara hadn't moved and still looked angry.

Deciding it wouldn't be a good idea to annoy him further, Ino slipped off the bed and sat huddled on the floor for a few moments before forcing herself to stand up and walk towards the door. She hesitated when she reached the door, expecting Deidara to stop her or ask her where she was going. As he didn't say anything though Ino left the room quietly, wondering why he had just let her go after all he had said about 'not letting her out of his sight' last night.

_How much of that was just lies though I don't know._

Ino realised that she didn't really know. After what had happened, she was tempted to run away and hide somewhere, maybe with one of her friends; Sakura-chan or Kourenai-sensei. Maybe tell Tsunade-sama and get help - betray the two Akatsuki and get them captured, tortured…killed? Why should she care? They were both freaks and they harboured potential threats to her friends and village. Surely having them killed would be better than having Konoha killed? They cared nothing for her either; as soon as she was useless they would dispose of her. Like the words Sasori had said that had repeated in her dream. Maybe he would turn her into a puppet, bound to do his bidding and to kill people. Maybe even used as a weapon against her family and fellow leaf ninja.

So why did she even hesitate? Why did she even have to think about it? She hated Deidara, and Sasori was a selfish brat - and they were both murderers.

_Murderers._

They probably enjoyed killing people whereas Ino had only ever killed before in self-defence and hadn't liked it. How anyone could gain pleasure from taking human lives she had no idea.

_I'm going to leave and tell someone. Sakura or Kurenai or Tsunade I'll tell Sakura and Kurenai and get them to come to Tsunade with me. Or I'll tell them on the way there. I have to leave though. I have to take some action - to help my village. If I sneak out quickly now, I should be able to make it. Deidara doesn't look likely to follow me now, and I don't know where Sasori is. He is probably still in my room._

Ino began to carefully go downstairs, making sure she stepped on the edges of the stairs so they didn't creak as much. When she reached the bottom she glanced back upstairs before proceeding through a plain door to her right. This led to the back-room which contained lots of cardboard boxes and several flower displays that were starting to wither and needed throwing out. The light was a raw electrical bulb, and Ino tended not to go in there. _However today it is necessary, because the front door has a wind chime attached and will alert them to the fact that I am leaving._

Ino walked straight over to the door at the other side of the room and fumbled around in the dark for the key, having decided to leave the light off in case either of her two extra residents saw the light. _In hindsight, it would have been more sensible to put the light on and avoid this confounded noise I'm making while searching for the keys._

Finally finding them Ino Inserted each one into the lock until one fitted, and then twisted it quickly, hearing the click with positive joy. Gently pulling down the handle Ino quickly pushed the door open, knowing that it creaked if it was allowed to open and close slowly. Sure enough, it made very little noise and Ino pushed it shut again just as quickly once she was outside, glancing up at the windows with narrowed eyes.

_You fools! You'll pay for taking advantage of me…yeah! I'll show you that Yamanaka Ino will not be that easily manipulated - HA! _Ino turned and swiftly began to make her way away from the house, feeling slightly foolish at her vicious thoughts of before. There was no point in it if they couldn't hear - but it did make her feel a bit better, so she supposed that it was worth it. As Ino entered an alleyway that served as a shortcut to Sakura's house she stopped, startled by a voice coming from somewhere above her.

'Ino...?' A little bit to her right and in front of her a young man perched on top of one of the house roofs. A young man with slightly tousled red hair; 'Is it necessary for me to ask you where you're going?'

Ino gritted her teeth but realised that it would be worse for her if she tried an aggressive approach. So, with much pain, Ino swallowed her pride and replied meekly,  
'Sorry Sasori-sama but…I thought that you wouldn't mind if I went to pick some flowers for a display I'm working on. It's for Chouji's funeral so I need them to be ready for then…' Ino trailed off and glanced from the ground to Sasori to the ground again to see if her words had had any effect.

'You don't have to lie Ino - it just means we will have to keep a closer eye on you - and maybe think of a punishment for your disobedience…'

'But I didn't disobey anythi- ' Ino started indignantly, only to have a metal cord wrap around her throat, blocking her mouth as well so she couldn't say anything more.

'Shut up, I'm not in a good enough mood to listen to your excuses.'

Ino obediently shut up. Not that she had much choice - Sasori being very clear on the matter.

Jumping down from the roof Sasori performed Henge no Jutsu and transformed into Sakura before walking over to Ino and attaching Chakra strings to her. Most notably Ino saw that Sasori made certain he had attached some to her mouth so that he didn't have to hear her speak. Then the wire cord currently somewhat restricting her breathing detached itself from her throat and disappeared about where 'Sakura's' chest was.

'Let's go,' Sasori ordered and Ino felt herself moving forward in front of him not of her own will. The part she found most infuriating was that it was still her moving, so she would still get tired like she normally would if forced to walk a long way. Not that that was really relevant to her current position as she didn't need to walk a long way. A rather short way, in fact, as it was.

Soon Ino found herself tied to her bed post with some spare rope Sasori had found in the back room. Sasori had supposedly gone to get Deidara but had already been gone for about ten minutes. Enough time for Ino to realise that the chakra strings still attached to her wrists were draining her chakra so she couldn't escape. Plus the rope was pretty strong.

'Kusou!' Ino swore, the thought of being hypocritical of herself not occurring to her. 'Kusou, kusou, kusou…'**_

* * *

_**

Finito! :)

Well how was it? Reviews are very welcome! :D

Thanks for reading!

love  
~WfCP  
xxx

**_-edited-_**


	6. Daylight nightmare

Hey!

Ok, originally for this story I wrote (within a month) and posted (within a couple of months) the first five chapters and was going to leave it like that - but people wanted me to continue so this is the first chapter (of many) of the continuation. Therefore it was written several months after chapter five. Not sure if there's all that much difference in writing style - but I personally think that the story gets better from here on out. I'll enjoy editing this a lot more now. :)

Read and enjoy!

**_-edited-_**

* * *

Soon Ino found herself tied to her bed post with some spare rope Sasori had found in the back room. Sasori had supposedly gone to get Deidara but had already been gone for about ten minutes. Enough time for Ino to realise that the chakra strings still attached to her wrists were draining her chakra so she couldn't escape. Plus the rope was pretty strong.

'Kusou!' Ino swore, the thought of being hypocritical of herself not occurring to her. 'Kusou, kusou, kusou…'

* * *

**chapter six:**

**Daylight Nightmare.**

* * *

Ino had given up shouting an hour ago, her voice beginning to feel sore. Now she was almost falling asleep, lying quite un-elegantly on the floor because the bonds were not slack enough for her to sit on the bed. She had heard some murmuring from the kitchen and so knew that they had heard her. After her second bout of shouting though there had been no response. Nor after her third, fourth, fifth…. Ino sighed; perhaps they really were trying to starve her.

Footsteps approaching the door to her room made her eyes fly open, immediately becoming more alert, and she pushed herself up into a sitting position. It was Deidara and so she averted her eyes, only to receive a slap several moments later.

'It's not me that you don't want to see,' he told her cryptically, tersely, before untying her hands and picking her up none-too-gently. Ino stiffened and tightly closed her eyes as she felt herself being carried downstairs. Just like when this had happened before she found herself mentally screaming that she was perfectly capable of walking on her own. _Except this time I actually can. What's going on?_

The sound of the chimes ringing made Ino open her eyes, expecting to be put down. She wasn't disappointed on that front but, just as she was about to go and answer the door, she was stopped by Deidara grabbing her arm. Turning to him in surprise she saw him shake his head firmly although his eyes looked tired as if something was silently draining him.  
'I think Sasori-no-danna has got this one,' he answered her unspoken question mutedly.

'Wha-' Ino began before she was cut off by a hand covering her mouth (_Not his mouth this time_, Inner Ino noticed regretfully, although it _was_ slightly wet).

'Perhaps we should just watch this one, yeah?' It was not really a question and Ino started to get really worried; just what the hell was going on? Was Sakura back?

'Ahh, it's good to be home dear,' Ino's eyes widened at her father's voice and anticipated her mother's before it came.

'Yes – it looks like one or two of these flowers are beginning to wilt though. I wonder if Ino just missed them.'

'Hmph, slacker,' Ino couldn't help but give a very slight smile at this, even if it was filled with worry – her father always joked about her like this.

'Hello-o! Ino dear, are you home?' Called her mother. Ino jerked in Deidara's hold but he merely wrapped his other arm around her torso, pinning both her arms to her sides.

'No sorry – she's dead,' No other person could have said it with so little emotion. _Sasori…what the hell are you doing?_ Ino's stomach was churning and she was beginning to feel sick. So far she couldn't actually see her parents because they were hidden behind the flower racks, but she watched as Sasori pushed past Deidara and herself, now in the same wooden guise she had first seen him in. An awkward silence followed his words.

'D-dead?' Ino's mother choked and her father coughed.

'Wh-who are you?' Ino's father stepped into Ino's vision although he didn't look her way, having eyes only for the bearer of bad news.

'Her killer - would you like to avenge her? I'm in the mood for a fight.' _Why does he have to be so calm?_ _Any other person_, Inner Ino thought grimly, _would at least sound angry if they wanted to fight__._

'Y-you…' It was left hanging; Ino thought she heard her mother gasp softly, just out of her sight. Then her father reached for his kunai pouch and everything blurred. There was a few swishing noises (the sound of metal), a cry of anguish cut short and then everything settled and Ino could see again. There were a few body parts lying scattered across the floor, blood splattered against the walls, flowers and floor. The most notable severed limb was the head and, although she had already guessed it, it was still a shock to see the blood seep out of her father's neck.

A piercing shriek sounded and Ino was certain it was her; although her mouth was still covered and the best she could manage was a strangled sob, eyes glued open in horror and shock. It was then that she saw her mother and realized that she was alive. Tears stopped her from seeing her mother's shocked glance, directed at her.

'I-In-n-no?' It was a whisper in the silence, presumably caused by the aftershock of death.

Ino blinked her tears away as quickly as she could to see her mother kneeling on the floor in despair.

'I-I thought…he said…you…you're not dead?' Her father lay forgotten on the floor and Ino found that she couldn't reply.

'Oh sorry,' Sasori replied carelessly although the question wasn't specifically aimed at him; 'I sometimes have prophetic tendencies. _Your_ death, however, is much more imminenet.'

Ino saw what was coming but found it impossible to turn her eyes away. Instead she was forced to watch, unresponsive in her captor's arms because she knew there was absolutely nothing she could do. In her nightmare she had seen Sasori force Choji to commit suicide. Now she saw it acted out in another scenario. She was not conscious enough to even think that this might be a dream.

'I must admit,' Sasori chatted casually once finished, 'that that wasn't as fun as I was expecting it to be.' A grunt from Deidara held ambiguous meaning but was interpreted by Ino as harbouring agreement as his hand loosened from her mouth.

'Animals,' Ino breathed, still in shock, '…_monsters_. You _monsters..._'

Not realizing that her eyes were closed because the picture was burned into her eyelids, Ino let a single tear follow the trail that the previous many had taken. Deidara laid her down on the floor as she fell limp.

'Maybe we went overboard, hmm,' he suggested flatly.

'Perhaps. Regardless, I'm sure we could have come up with a cleaner method,' Sasori replied dryly, letting his eyes roam over the room.

There was a slight pause.

'You've got blood on your cloak danna, hmm.'

'If you don't shut up there'll be a lot more on yours.'

Deidara began to form the seals for a basic water jutsu, his mouth sealed closed. Sasori turned and shuffled through the door, stopping to glance down at the innate girl on the floor. Barely audible he muttered darkly,

'I warned you you'd regret it.'

* * *

finito! :)

So what did you think? Quite a dark chapter I know, but perhaps a fair introduction to the remainder of the story which varies in genre from chapter to chapter. ;)

Anyway, I love reviewers a lot so please spend a minute of your time to tell me your thoughts so far!

love,  
~WfCP xxx

**_-edited-_**


	7. Mystery boy

Hey!

Ok so this is my favourite chapter out of the seven I've edited - although it's a fairly neutral chapter genre wise; not particularly romanc-y or angst-y or horror-full but I like it anyway.

I hope you enjoy reading it as well!

**_-edited-_**  


* * *

'You've got blood on your cloak danna, hmm.'

'If you don't shut up there'll be a lot more on yours.'

Deidara began to form the seals for a basic water jutsu, his mouth sealed closed. Sasori turned and shuffled through the door, stopping to glance at the innate girl on the floor. Barely audible he muttered darkly,

'I warned you you'd regret it.'

* * *

**chapter seven:**

**Mystery Boy.**

* * *

'How do we know she even knows the little brat?' Deidara's voice floated through the kitchen door Ino had her ear against. She had been listening in to the two men's conversation for several minutes now but had so far only managed to work out that her parent's death had not been a bad dream and that they had an ulterior motive for coming to Konohagakure other than to ruin her life. She had to listen harder to catch what Sasori said though because his voice was naturally quieter than Deidara's.

'Oh I'm sure she'll have heard of him; they took the chunin exams together, went to the same training school – they're even the same age. I'm more worried about whether she'll know where to find him.'

Ino puzzled her brain as to who they could be talking about. _Someone on my team?_ No – Sasori would have mentioned that connection for sure in his list of their similarities. So who else would be a likely target her age? They were looking for a 'him', so Sakura and Hinata were out of the picture. She hadn't seen any of the others for a long while although they all seemed to have an air of mystery constantly surrounding them.

'I somehow doubt that. She doesn't seem to be the most social of people.' Deidara voiced matter of factly, causing some distress to his female audience.

'What does he mean I'm not social?' Ino hissed under her breath, 'I'm certainly more social than _he_ is; _freak_.'

'After all it's not like anyone has come to check up on her besides that pink-haired girl you dislike so much,' Deidara continued, backing up his assumption. It did make Ino think a bit, even though she still refused to agree with him. _It's true that no-one has come to check on me today. Not Kurenai, not Shikamaru, not even Sakura has come back. Why? Are they just too busy with Ch-Chou- with _that_?_

'Well we'll find out soon enough,' Sasori cut into her thoughts diplomatically. 'Until then perhaps you should go and check if she's awake yet. My cloak has probably dried by now.'

Hearing footsteps approaching the door Ino jumped and looked around frantically. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it back to her bedroom where she had woken up and so she dived off to the right and into the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack to see if anyone had heard her quick movements.

Deidara came out of the kitchen first, stretched, and then casually made his way over to her bedroom. Ino watched with bated breath, waiting for him to find her missing. Sasori emerged from the kitchen a moment after Deidara had entered her room and blocked Ino's clear view of the hallway. She would have been more annoyed at this had he not begun to walk towards her and she realized with some shock that he was topless. Without his cloak on he wore only loose trousers - and now that he was facing her she saw that he was hollow, a huge hole in his chest containing the iron rope he had used to bind her with earlier that morning. Ino gulped, wide eyed, and retreated further into the bathroom, looking around for some means of escape or concealment; for some reason she thought that Sasori wouldn't be too happy to find her there.

The Yamanaka bathroom was not extraordinarily big and, as Ino frantically searched with her eyes for a suitable hiding place, the only thing she could think of was the bath. The shower curtain was half pulled across already and so Ino quickly hopped in and crouched down as low as possible, fingers crossed that Sasori shouldn't see her.

She had hardly been quick enough as the door was opened a few seconds later and Ino held her breath. The light clicked on and Ino was infinitely glad that her head wasn't poking up above the rim of the bath because it would have shown up against the shower curtain for sure. There was some rustling in which Ino deemed it safe to breathe, and a minute or two later the light was switched off and the bathroom evacuated. Ino blinked in surprise, hardly believing her luck, and lifted her head up to peer around the now darkened room.

Sasori really had left and so Ino quickly jumped back out of the bath and carefully reopened the door a notch so that she could see out. He was standing in the doorway to her bedroom looking in, and she guessed that he was talking to Deidara. For a moment Ino considered jumping over the banister and escaping but, as she had thought before her eavesdropping earlier, the two missing nins were only likely to harass some other poor girl and, as a shinobi, it was her duty to protect the village people.

So intent on her thinking was she that Ino accidently applied too much pressure to the door handle she was gripping and it swung open a tad wider, creaking as it did so. Sasori turned abruptly in the doorway and glared sharply at where she was crouched by the door. Surprised, Ino instinctively closed the door and then swore at her stupid mistake. Footsteps approaching were only to be expected by the blonde girl and Ino knew that trying to hide would be pointless. Instead she leant against the sink, facing the door, and waited. It did not take long.

'I've been expecting you,' Ino said with a straight face when the door was flung open to reveal her male lookalike. She had decided that if he was going to act indifferently about their previous interactions then she would too. Her statement produced a better result than she was expecting though as Deidara opened and closed his mouth, confused.

'I've always wanted to say that,' Ino explained with an exaggerated grin and made to push past Deidara while he was still surprised, only to find her arm grabbed just as she thought she was through.

'Hey, wait,' Deidara called, suddenly alive again. He didn't look too happy. 'Why were you hiding in there?'

Ino pretended to think for a minute. 'Who says I was hiding?' She retorted a moment later and then, 'Perhaps I just like cold, dark places.' Her eyes, her stance and just generally herself, Ino realized, were daring Deidara to challenge her on the subject. Perhaps that was why she was so disappointed when he let her arm go with just a look over her head and a disbelieving,

'Hmm.'

Turning around to eye Sasori grudgingly because he had spoilt her fun, Ino watched as he ran a hand through his messy hair somewhat disconnectedly. Deidara remained behind her and when Sasori realized she was looking at him he blinked and returned the gaze rather blankly.

'Should we go then?' Ino suggested brightly, deciding it was easier and a lot more fun to hide behind a layer of fake enthusiasm than it was to be depressed. And with everything in her life making her want to crawl into a corner and cry she was surprised at how good being 'happy' was in distracting her.

'Go where?' Deidara asked skeptically from behind her.

'I thought you guys would want a tour of the town this afternoon,' Ino replied, turning so that she could see both of the missing nin and flashing Deidara a quick grin. He gave her a weird look in response, raising the only eyebrow that was visible to her, but Ino chose to ignore him. Instead she practically skipped over to the stairs, past a tired Sasori, and hung on the banister hopefully.

'You mean you're not, hmm, upset that we…' Deidara trailed off, looking over to Sasori for help. It was mildly amusing to Ino that people who were so used to dealing out death didn't seem to have a clue as to how to cope with an over enthusiastic teenage girl. Inside though Ino was finding it hard to keep the charade up. Smiling after her parents had been so brutally murdered in front of her eyes and one of her best friends announced dead was not easy, however hard she tried to make it seem so. Deidara mentioning what they had done, however amusing his hopelessness, was really not helpful. Perhaps Sasori had seen the slight falter in her acting because what he said next made her stop altogether.

'Acting isn't going to get you anywhere. I've killed your team member and your parents so far, but that isn't all there is. A tour would be nice though thank-you.'

Ino's smile vanished as soon as the words sunk in and she turned her head away so that they couldn't see the frustration that she felt. Her pretence hadn't just been to annoy the Akatsuki pair but also to help cheer herself up. However Sasori's blunt analysis of the situation had served to ruin both objectives.

Ino didn't care whether they were following her or not as she descended the stairs. Part of her dearly wished they weren't, even after all of her heroic kunoichi speeches, but really she wasn't disposed either way. With her parents dead Ino wasn't sure that there was anything to live for anymore. Did it really matter if two homicidal murderers were following her?

Sitting on the roof of a small bakery with a good view of Konoha's most respected Hospital Ino couldn't help letting her eyes roam over her two companions. She had thought that they would have had to henge in order to wander around Konohagakure, but they had protested at the idea so vehemently that Ino had shut up and offered no more suggestions. It was thus why they had been travelling via rooftops, although Deidara had also come up with the great idea of turning the cloaks inside out.

'So this is where the great Hokage and her apprentice work, hmm?' Deidara asked out loud, turning to Ino for his answer. She nodded blandly, glad that there was a wind today to stop them from being heard.

_Would this be counted as treason?_

Sasori made some notes on a piece of paper he had been carrying around with him and Ino twitched, feeling a sudden want to go and rip it out of his hands. Suppressing the urge to rebel though Ino stood, looked out over her town and frowned. Why were they here anyway?

_Something about this mystery boy – so why don't they just come out and ask me about him?_

'Where next?' Sasori questioned, coming to stand next to her.

'I think I've shown you everything,' Ino started, intending to breach the subject of their real intentions for Konoha. She was interrupted though by Deidara who was smiling somewhat enthusiastically; Ino had to wonder whether it was just the wind that had brought on this spurt of happiness.

'We haven't seen the famous rock Hokage faces of Konoha, yeah!'

Ino scratched her head in a confused manner at this. 'They're over there,' she finally offered, pointing to the obviously placed works of art.

'I know, hmm, but I meant closer up,' Deidara replied impatiently and Ino sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Sasori offered no objection and so she motioned for them to follow her and led them covertly across the rooftops towards the cliff face. Closer up Ino believed the art to be ruined because you could no longer see the bigger picture. As they stopped just below the overhanging rock and jumped down to the ground at last though it was obvious that her blonde companion was still enthralled by them.

Having set the pace herself Ino didn't really need to stop for a rest but was glad of the privilege anyway. Sasori also seemed to be vaguely interested in the rock faces and Ino wondered if this was a weird part of their mission as well.

'I heard that they were made by well placed explosions within the cliff,' Deidara informed them both although Ino already knew this information.

'And yet they are likely to last forever,' Sasori added, glancing sideways at his partner pointedly. Ino sat down and spread her legs out in front of her; they were sheltered from the wind by the house they were standing behind, and with the sun beginning to poke out through the clouds it was really a rather pleasant day. She closed her eyes and listened as the two missing nins' conversation degenerated into an argument of sorts.

'Not forever, yeah – rocks get weathered with time.'

'If the entire cliff is weathered evenly then they will remain.'

'But it wouldn't all be weathered evenly, hmm. Besides - the actual product isn't the beauty of it; it's the means.'

'You can't truly enjoy art that is over before you can fully comprehend it,' Sasori muttered icily back in a tone of finality that suggested to Ino that he had been here before. Deidara 'Hmph'-ed and when Ino cracked open an eye she saw that he was frowning up at the faces with a lot less admiralty than before.

_Perhaps this is a good time to mention that mystery boy I'm supposed to know?_ Ino wondered and opened both of her eyes, opening her mouth to speak.

'Is it true that you can get inside the cliff where the faces were blown out?' Sasori cut across her before she could properly start. Ino closed her mouth irritably.

'Yes,' she replied shortly without meaning to. _Where did he hear that from? That's near where we evacuate when there is an attack; I don't really want to show anyone from akatsuki that place._

'Ah, interesting. May I see it?' Perhaps he had heard the unwillingness in her tone because Sasori suddenly seemed to be all manners. Ino groaned silently to herself but knew that refusing wasn't an option. Instead she got up and without further ado began to walk in the direction of the old abandoned stone building that Konoha had used in the sound village's attack.

It wasn't far and soon they were ascending the long staircase up to the cliff face. Deidara had lost his former enthusiasm but offered no complaint at the long climb. Sasori looked as uninterested as ever but Ino thought otherwise as he was bothering to talk of the place.

'This is a rather old building - I'm surprised it hasn't been renovated and used for something useful. It's certainly big enough,' he commented innocently enough but Ino anticipated a question hovering on the horizon.

'I assume it's because it holds the entrance to the cliff; renovation might ruin that,' she replied when he spoke no more.

'Oh, I hardly think that's a reason,' he dismissed and Ino took out her frustration by glaring at one of the old stone pillars as they passed it. 'What do you really think about this place?'

Ino contemplated acting innocent but decided that she was ultimately already too far gone to have much patriotism left.

'It's where Konoha evacuates during an emergency,' she told him reluctantly and was glad when he shut up; apparently he hadn't been expecting such an informative answer so soon. The rest of the walk through the empty building and into the rock passage was silent and uneventful.

'This was created using explosives?' Deidara asked doubtfully as he ran his hand over the smooth rock surface.

'No. I think this passage was tunneled by hand,' Ino explained. 'It's only the actual faces that were created with explosives.'

'Ah, figures.' Deidara fell silent and they continued in single file into the first chamber which was lit by a small amount of light filtering through the eyes of the face.

Ino stopped and admired the effect that the light caused. The dust motes in the air looked like mini fireflies, made golden by the sunlight, and Ino was reminded of the last time she had come here. It had been her first time as well now she thought about it and she had run here as a dare with Sakura. Her friend had been reluctant of course, being the shy girl that she was, but had ultimately (Ino thought at least) enjoyed the experience. It had definitely seemed more magical then than it did now and Ino wondered whether it was the company or just the fact that she was older and more immune to such beauty.

The 'room' growing darker alerted her to the fact that Sasori was looking out over Konoha from one of the holes. She would have joined him but thought it better to try and avoid talking to him because of his curiosity and so moved on into the next 'room'. _It must have taken a lot of time and calculation__,_ Ino mused_, __to have constructed this place._

Continuing on she passed Deidara in the third face and ended up in the last cavern on her own. Looking out of Tsunade's left eye Ino found that she was able to fit her head through and proceeded to look at the Great faces from a viewpoint she hadn't considered before. Although up close it was hard to make out the faces as a full Ino though she could see them if she tried hard enough; it was daunting enough to make her stop though and pull her head back inside. The drop was tremendous as well and didn't really bare thinking about.

Deidara joined her a minute or two later and glanced around the chamber.

'This is the last one, hmm?' He voiced out loud and Ino listened to the echo pensively.

'Yes. Once you've seen one though you've really seen them all,' Ino muttered, staring at the ceiling in a bored manner.

'What?' Deidara snapped in surprise, making Ino look back at him curiously; he obviously didn't agree with her. 'Each one is completely different, hmm. They have to be - or else all the faces would be the same.' Ino gave an affirmative nod and muttered a vague 'ah' to reassure him that he was correct. Really she didn't mind either way; painting and crafts were what she viewed as art, not massive rock sculptures, but whatever floated his boat she supposed.

Sasori entered through the arched 'doorway' while Deidara was carefully examining the inside of Tusnade's face. Finding a suitable slab of rock to sit on he lazily scanned the room before steeping his fingers and closing his eyes. Ino couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about.

'It's rather peaceful in here...doesn't look like it's used much; does anyone ever come here?' He asked a moment later causing Ino to start as the words echoed around the chamber.

'Um...not often, no. In fact very rarely – it's supposed to be off bounds,' She answered warily, wondering why he had asked.

_Surely he's not thinking of taking residence here?_

Deidara seemed to have finished examining the workmanship because he came over to sit on another piece of rock, nearer to Ino than Sasori. Seeing that everyone else was seated Ino felt a bit left out and quickly found her own resting place.

There was a small silence in which Ino tried hard not to get up and walk around. In the end she decided to throw away all precautions and ask the question that she had been longing to ask for a while now.

'This boy that you're looking for…who is he?'

* * *

finito! :)

Good, bad? What did you think?  
Personally I enjoyed reading it through as I edited - more than I have the previous ones anyway, but perhaps that's just me.  
Please review and let me know your thoughts!

Also, thank you for reading!

love,  
~WfCP xxx

**_-edited-_**


	8. Forehead's appearance

Hey!

So I've managed to edit yet another chapter - wow, I'm doing a lot today! I must have edited four chapters so far and it's only just five o'clock! (taking into account that I've been making science notes for GCSE that's actually not too bad before you start thinking I'm being sarcastic!)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter - well done to everyone who guessed who the 'mystery boy' was! Although he _was _the obvious choice...I should have made it a bit harder actually. Oh well!

Read and enjoy!

**_-edited-_**  


* * *

'This boy that you're looking for…who is he?'

* * *

**chapter eight:**

**Forehead's Appearance.**

* * *

There were looks exchanged above her head, Ino knew there were, but as long as they finally got to the point and stopped beating around the bush then she didn't care_ what_ they did over her head.

'How do you know we're looking for a boy, hmm?' Deidara asked warily and Ino slapped a hand to her forehead, fed up with the politics.

'I was listening in on your conversation earlier, okay? Now can we just cut the crap and get to the point?'

Deidara's deepened frown was noticeable to Ino but she hoped that he would be able to see the sense in her suggestion anyway.

'Naruto.' It was not Deidara who had given in as Ino had thought it might be and so she turned her head to look at the red headed speaker in mild surprise.

'Naruto?' She repeated questionably to make sure. She hadn't seen Naruto for more than a year but rumor had it that Tsunade had him locked away in a safe house with several Anbu members guarding him. Although this sounded like he had done something wrong, Sakura had beat it into Ino's brain that it was for protection because he was in danger. Either way it didn't sound like a particularly pleasant pastime.

'Danna…' Deidara muttered to Sasori, unsure, but the cave carried his voice so Ino could hear as well.

'What? We have to ask her at some point,' Sasori replied dismissively and Deidara subsided.

'Do you know where he is?' This question, asked by the now satisfied blonde, was aimed rather pointedly at Ino and she bit her lip thoughtfully.

_It's most likely that he's kept in Konoha police station if they want maximum security for him, but I don't think I was ever told where._

'A safe-house somewhere I think, but I'm not sure exactly where. I would guess at Konoha police station.' The dissatisfied silence that followed prompted Ino to add, 'I think I know someone who _does_ know where he is though.'

The immediate change of attitude in the missing nins at this was obvious.

'Who?' It was a simultaneously spoken question and Ino shrunk back from the unnatural enthusiasm.

'Sakura.' Ino only remembered after she had said it that Sakura was _'that pink-haired girl'_ that Sasori hated so much. The silence was deafening.

_Kusou_

'Sakura, hmm…' Deidara started and then it clicked, 'Hey, isn't she that pink-hair-'

'Shut up,' Sasori snapped and stood up abruptly. A moment later and he was back to his normal composure, but the echo was enough to keep the two blondes silent.

'Isn't there anyone else?' Sasori asked resignedly and Ino shook her head, still not wanting to speak. There was no more talking for several minutes as Sasori slowly paced up and down the cave. Ino closed her eyes and silently swore repeatedly; for a moment she had thought they had been getting on, but her stupidity had just stripped all of that away.

'Where does…' Sasori started, stopped and then started again. 'Where does she live?' He had stopped pacing now and, although he was reluctant, it seemed that he was resigned as well. Ino saw Deidara relax slightly.

'I can show you if you want - but she'll be at work right now,' Ino replied, taking Deidara's body language to mean it was safe to talk again.

'Right. Where does she work?'

'Konoha Hospital – I normally work there too, but I get the weekends off,' Ino supplied readily and Deidara jumped with a grin.

'So you know your way around? Great – lets go, yeah!'

'No, wait,' Sasori stopped Deidara as he headed for the 'door'. 'The hospital is going to be full of people; it would be much more sensible for us to wait at her house until she comes back.'

As much as it hurt Ino to say so she managed to snap, 'Sakura still has parents you know– they might wonder what we're doing there.' She was suddenly made angry by her own words and the fire inside was proving hard to quell, even when she closed her eyes and monitored her breathing.

'Well I'm sure that can be easily dealt with,' was Sasori's cold reply and, although it could have been because Ino was so full of anger herself, she could have sworn there was more than a hint of annoyance in Sasori's tone. A picture of her parents as they conversed with Sasori flashed into Ino's mind, and then one of the postmortem blood. She couldn't believe it was only this morning that they had gone and she didn't want her friend's family to be wiped out in the same way.

'No!' Ino shouted, opening her eyes and forgetting about controlling her anger. Her voice was amplified by the cave and Deidara's hand was covering her mouth in an instant.

'Are you mad?' He hissed angrily in her ear, and Ino saw that Sasori was looking out of the eyehole over Konoha. 'Do you want us to be found in here?' Struggling against his forceful hold Ino wished he would release her mouth so she could spit out the 'yes' that was residing there. 'Stay still, hmm!'

When Ino refused to obey him Deidara shifted his position slightly and dug his elbow hard into her abdomen, releasing his hold on her and letting her drop to the floor in pain. Winded, Ino held her chest and gasped, apparently to no avail, not aware of her surroundings because of her blurred vision. Finding it so hard to breathe Ino feared for her life and felt her heart rate increase dramatically.

_No, no, dammit – I've got to slow my heart rate because I haven't got enough oxygen to support this pace__._ Ino thought desperately, continuing to gasp painfully. She had learnt through her medical training that you were supposed to help people into a crouching position when this happened, but having never been winded before it was easier said than done. Forcing herself into a crouch however Ino tried to take deep breaths and maintain a steady rhythm; an attempt that failed as she was jerked from her stance a moment later.

'Wha-?' Ino half spluttered, half gasped as the already blurry cave spun before her eyes. Closing them to avoid confusion, a stab of pain as her diaphragm contracted caused her to gasp and then choke on the excess air.

'Oh Kami-sama - pull yourself together already, yeah,' Ino heard Deidara's distinctive voice speak from somewhere near her.

'Careful with her – we need the directions,' Sasori growled from a few meters away and Ino opened her eyes to find herself in Deidara's arms again. Why does Sasori never carry me? She managed to wonder distractedly before wrapping her arms more firmly around her abdomen and wincing. Regulating her breathing again, Ino closed her eyes as they began to move. Apparently this was so urgent that they couldn't even wait five minutes for her to recover.

_Great. Just great._

It actually took ten minutes for Ino to recover because of her awkward position - no thanks to Deidara – and by the time Ino could speak properly again she felt almost too exhausted to bother venting her frustration. She had been pointing them across roof-tops and down side allies for the most part as way of directions and now she contemplated how to tell them she had been leading them the wrong way; _after all, it's hardly fair that Sakura should suffer as well. If I can just convince them to abandon this idea, then perhaps I can at least keep her family alive._

'You've stopped having spasms, yeah,' Deidara pointed out needlessly and Ino blinked herself back into reality. They were currently hiding in the shadows of a small alleyway, their advantage tripled because night was now approaching.

'Yes - and I would have stopped five minutes ago if you'd left me back in the cave,' Ino replied tersely and, seeing Deidara open his mouth, awaited his reply.

'Where now?' Sasori broke in before an argument could develop and Ino's fun factor dropped another notch.

'Wait - it's getting dark now. Can you put me down so I can see properly?' She asked hopefully, praying her increasing heart-rate wasn't obvious to Deidara; she knew that lying wasn't a good idea but, even though she knew exactly where they were, she still needed to stall for time.

'Gladly – you're too heavy anyway, hm,' Deidara muttered as he put her down, not realizing his teasing would actually hurt. Freezing at the mention of her weight Ino bit her lip and told herself to ignore it;_ I know I'm fat, but that doesn't mean he has to point it out! _

'Hello? Directions?'

_Sasori – he looks impatient._

'Oh! Yes, sure!' Ino gushed and poked her head out of the alleyway. Because it was darker now there were less people about but there were still some walking up and down the street, so they would have to travel across the roof tops again. _I'll try talking them out of it on the way then._

'Right here - across the roofs. Follow me!' Ino jumped up before they could ask any questions and it was only when they caught up that she began to think of what to say.

'Really, how far is this place yeah? She must have to walk miles to get to work!'

Deciding to give caution to the wind Ino gave up on formulating a pre-planned speech and purposely mis-jumped one of the gaps between the houses, intending on 'accidently' falling and twisting her ankle; it would slow them down at least.

Unfortunately Sasori, who had seen her bad footwork, managed to grab her mid air and she ended up making it across the gap unhurt. Lying in Sasori's arms for a change Ino remembered her earlier silent query and smiled, causing Sasori to drop her quickly and jump back a bit. Getting up, Ino laughed nervously and scratched the back of her neck in fake-embarrassment.

'Oh, sorry – I wasn't thinking,' she apologized in what she thought was a genuine voice, looking embarrassed, before resuming their journey. _Damn Sasori – can't he just keep his hands to himself?__Now I have to think of some other way of stalling._

After two more failed attempts at losing her balance and the lost hope of 'third time lucky' Ino was beginning to get frustrated, especially because she thought Sasori might be getting suspicious of her.

'Look – you're obviously tired, so why do you still insist on running?' Sasori ventured at the next change of paths and Ino jumped at the chance of a rest.

'Ohgoodidea–weshouldtakearest!' She speed-talked and immediately plopped herself down into a sitting position on the roof they were currently standing on. An unwanted but expected silence followed her outburst and Ino stared intensely at the uneven tiles in an attempt to avoid meeting her companions' gazes. This plan fell rather flat though as Deidara crouched down to her level and laid a hand on her shoulder.

'What's wrong, yeah?'

Shaking his hand off Ino plastered a smile onto her face and met his confused look with more false words, 'What? I'm fine – just a bit tired, that's all.' When her stomach growled she blushed and added, 'Perhaps a little hungry too.' Now she thought about it Ino realized that she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's breakfast – before she had even met the two missing nin. The thought scared her slightly and, even though she was used to going without food, she felt distinctly faint.

'When did you last eat, hmm?'

''Doesn't matter,' Ino muttered disconnectedly, as much to convince herself as him. Her voice sounded wrong though and when she stood up suddenly to continue their journey and stop the interrogation all the blood rushed out of her head and she blacked out.

Having caught Ino's limp, falling form, Sasori dumped her onto Deidara and rolled his eyes. 'Only a little hungry then.'

* * *

The smell of miso ramen woke Ino from her dark retreat and, with her mouth watering at the prospect of food, she blinked open her eyes to find herself slumped over the counter of Ichiraku Ramen house. Her face was moist with condensation from the steam and she wondered how long she had been resting there.

'Hey – are you alright now?' It was her father's voice - and when she turned her head to the left it was also her father's visage. Even in her food-deprived state she could still remember his death and the sight of him with her made her think she was hallucinating.

A bowl of Ramen being placed in front of her made her look up at the old-man shopkeeper who was smiling at her encouragingly. As if in a dream Ino gave a weak smile in return before breaking the chopsticks ('Itadakimasu!') and beginning to eat. However the vaguely spicy taste of the food and the cool breeze flowing around her ankles made Ino's assumption that it was a dream seem rather thin.

The food was good. Really, Ino would be lying if she said that she'd had never blacked out from lack of food before - but every time she did the food tastde so much better that it was almost worth it. Almost. It didn't help, she supposed, that her companions (for she had realized by now that it wasn't really her father) had to mock her so by flanking her with the impersonation of her parents.

They must have already paid for the food because there was no shouting or angry comments when, after she had finished, her 'mother' took her arm as gently as she supposed was possible for an Akatsuki member and dragged her out of the shop, closely followed by her 'father'.

The henge did not last long. In fact it was cancelled almost as soon as they were out of the light cast by the warmly lit ramen house, and Ino had to wonder whether that was for her benefit or for theirs. _Theirs, moron – haven't you worked out by now that they don't give a damn about you?_ Inner Ino snapped back at her silent inquiry.

Shaking her arm out of Deidara's grasp Ino sidled into the nearest alleyway and hugged herself against the cold. Joined first by Sasori and then by Deidara, Ino decided that now she wasn't in so much danger of fainting she should try and convince them against the Sakura idea.

'Look – about Sakura, I think we should jus-'

'Shut up,' Sasori cut across her in irritation, turning his back to look towards the end of the alley. Looking to Deidara for support Ino was met with a tired gaze.

'What, yeah?'

'Nothing. I – well I just…no, never mind.' Ino gave up trying to defend herself.

'Let's just go home, hmm?'

Noting that Deidara now thought of her house as his 'home' Ino nodded in relief and followed without question.

This journey, compared to the one before, was very short and Ino was grateful for it as her legs were beginning to ache. On their way back Sasori bluntly told her the new plan of action. In summary, she was supposed to ring Sakura and ask her to come around instead of going to personally pick her up – a plan that included a lot less bloodshed and effort - and therefore the perfect solution for all of them.

Approaching her house from the back (she refused to enter through the front door because of bad memories) nothing seemed amiss. This blissful ignorance lasted all the way up the stairs, into the kitchen and onto a chair before it presented itself in the way of an opening door. Since all three occupants of the house were already in the same room this small movement demanded (and received) three undivided attentions.

'Ino?' The voice, not having seen the cloaked men, was curious. When the emerald eyes did finally take in the inside-out turned cloaks and the two faces that went with them though they widened in shock. 'S-Sasori?' Perhaps there was also a little recognition. 'I thought…no, wait. What…how? Ino…?'

Ino's eyes were glued to the table, not able to bear the confused accusation in her friend's eyes as Deidara noted matter-of-factly that there was, 'no need for a phone after all, hmm.'

By the time Sasori had said with unnatural enjoyment, 'Long time no see, Sakura! Care to join us?' darkness had come to comfort Ino as her hands covered her face, eyes screwed tight shut.

* * *

finito! :)

Wahh! Sakura and Sasori meet! Oh no, what's going to happen now?  
I guess you'll have to read the next chapter to find out! ;)

Please review with your views on this chapter. Criticism is welcome!

love,  
~WfCP xxx

**_-edited-_**


	9. Run from the nightmares

Hey!

So five chapters edited in one day...

I feel as if I should warn you beforehand that there are a lot of POV changes in this chapter - but I'm not sure if that's good or bad so you can decide for yourself. ;)

Read and enjoy!

**_-edited-_**

* * *

By the time Sasori had said with unnatural enjoyment, 'Long time no see, Sakura! Care to join us?' darkness had come to comfort Ino as her hands covered her face, eyes screwed tight shut.

* * *

**chapter nine:**

**Run From The Nightmares.**

* * *

The loud slam of the door followed by a dangerously soft, 'Oh, no – I don't think you want to do that,' caused Ino's head to jerk up. Sakura was crouching on the floor a little way away from the door and Ino imagined that she had just jumped out of its way. The door appeared to have shut for no reason because there was no one near it, but that just led Ino to the assumption that Sasori had closed it; Sakura glaring at him didn't hinder this conclusion in any way.

'Have a seat why don't you,' Sasori pressed, the sound of wooden chair legs scraping against the also wooden floor the only sound, except Sasori, that seemed to brave breaking the silence. The atmosphere was tense and seemed to escalate as Sakura refused to move from the floor. _Move dammit!_ Inner Ino screamed at her in silent desperation but Sakura obviously couldn't hear her – besides the fact that she seemed to have eyes for only Sasori and vice versa.

'Oh, suit yourself then – I just thought you might be more comfortable sitting down.' Sasori was acting, Ino realized, as if he was completely comfortable with the whole tirade; the complete opposite to Sakura. He had taken the seat that he had offered her pink haired friend and now sat at ease. At least, Ino supposed that that was what it was – Deidara could tell though from his partner's crossed legs that he was acting; Sasori never crossed his legs unless something was amiss. 'Just out of interest…' Sasori started, but was stopped from continuing his question as Sakura jumped up, her hand reaching for her weapons pouch. Ino watched her friend in an admiring, horrified way; admiring because she wouldn't have had the courage and horrified because of what was going to happen next.

In less than a second the room was full of flying weapons - their speed blurring Ino's view and the sound of the air parting for them causing her to slip under the table, sheltering her body as best as she could and covering her ears. If she had been able to think coherently she might have been disgusted at how weak she had become - but as it was she merely sat there shaking until the sound of clashing metal ceased and silence pervaded her senses.

Uncovering her ears, Ino looked out from under the table to see several kunai strewn about the floor and, crawling out from her hiding space, she took in the rest of the room. A shruiken was embedded in the table and another three had buried themselves in the cupboards. Sakura was pinned against the fridge by a kunai through her right palm, her eyes wide and staring, and Ino almost felt her friend's pain as her own. Sasori and Deidara were both standing in fighting stances, kunai in hand, and watching Sakura warily. _They weren't this on guard when they met _me_! Tch, I'm insulted._

Ino would have felt more jealous, she supposed, if Sakura hadn't had a kunai clean through her hand. _Damn that has gotta hurt!_ Inner Ino squealed and subconsciously shied away from it, hugging herself as she watched the blood trickle down Sakura's arm. The silence was almost painful; the awkwardness and the way no one was moving. And then Sakura blinked.

* * *

It was so damn _painful_! Sakura had learnt that there was a pressure point in your hand from Tsunade, her mentor, but the nearest she had got to anything that could be considered pain from it was pinching it between thumb and forefinger, something that had produced little result. She had, therefore, assumed that a blow to it would produce much the same effect. She had assumed wrongly. A kunai embedded in the flesh was bad enough, and a blade visible both sides of the body was worse – but Sakura was now forced to add to her notes that a blade cutting directly through a pressure point was the _worst_.

Blinking, Sakura refocused her eyes and took in her surroundings. Ino was standing just in front of the table, hugging herself as if she was cold. The blonde haired Akatsuki man (_who looks a bit like Ino actually_) was standing behind the table, a kunai resting lightly in his hand. And Sasori, _puppet master extraordinaire_, was standing just over a metre away from herself. Turning her head to avoid getting caught in a staring match with him again Sakura looked at her hand and saw the blood trickling out of the wound and making it's slow descent down the fridge. A tickling sensation, arousing some irritation on Sakura's part, alerted her to the deep red drops making similar, lighter-coloured patterns down her arm.

Breathing deeply Sakura moved her left hand to grip the kunai handle and, wincing in anticipation, pulled. With her amount of strength Sakura didn't have any trouble at all in removing the offending metal but, once it was discarded on the floor, she inhaled sharply and pulled her hand into her chest, the blood now flowing freely. It was necessary to begin the healing procedure immediately before she passed out through loss of blood and so Sakura summoned the soft, faintly green-coloured chakra that she was so familiar with by now and started sealing the gash.

It was a shock then when, not concentrating on her surroundings, Sakura found herself lying with her back against the hard floor, her arms spread out and her chakra dispersed. Her head turned to its side, she could see that a blue sandaled foot was pinning her injured arm to the ground and, tracing the leg, torso and face of the owner of the foot with her eyes Sakura was finally met with a shock of unruly red hair and a scowl.

Somehow she felt scared, even though (or perhaps because) she had fought and won against him once before; this time was different, worse. Sakura blamed her lack of ability to move on the loss of blood making her brain go funny, but she couldn't deny the fact that her heart was beating at twice it's normal rate as, without moving his foot or breaking eye contact, Sasori somehow managed to crouch down and lean forward so that when he spoke only Sakura could hear him.

'When I'm through with you I bet you'll wish you never made those anti-venoms.'

It was the last thing Sakura heard before her eyes fluttered shut and she let the darkness claim her.

* * *

After a few moments more of crouching there, letting his eyes take in the pained expression of the girl beneath him, Sasori stood up and turned his back on her. The dark look still present on his normally impassive face, he flicked his eyes over to Deidara to see him holding the blonde girl back. Catching his eye he blinked and nodded barely noticeably at Ino before sweeping out of the door and leaving Deidara to handle the situation.

'Thanks, yeah,' Deidara muttered to himself as he let Ino go and watched as she stumbled over to her bleeding friend and clumsily summoned a green healing chakra. Sitting down on the chair Sasori had offered his pink-haired rival, Deidara watched Ino's apparently futile work with a sigh.

_What the hell, hmm. Out of all the people Sasori-no-danna doesn't like, I've never seen him act like that; most of them are dead within seconds. Perhaps keeping her for interrogation is a bad idea. The quicker we can get her to show us where the demon fox is, the quicker we can kill her and get it over with. Yeah…that sounds like a good idea, hmm. _

* * *

Ino was shattered. Healing Sakura had taken a lot out of her, especially considering her already tired state. She was proud of her work none the less though; Sakura's hand looked as good as new – apart from the rather obvious scar. _Well that can't be helped_, Ino thought with a yawn and gripped the covers tighter, closing her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. Falling asleep however was harder than it sounded, even though she was so very worn out.

'I didn't realize you were a proper medic nin, hmm, ' she heard Deidara mutter from where he was leaning against the wall a few feet away. Sighing, Ino blinked open her eyes and focused them in on him before rolling over to lie on her back and stare at the ceiling.

'Well what did you expect me to be when I said I worked at the hospital?'

Apparently Deidara didn't have an answer and so Ino glanced over to her right to see the soft pink hair of her friend lying on the other pillow. Somehow it seemed wrong to her to be sleeping in the same bed as someone who was unconscious, but it hadn't really been an option to leave Sakura on the floor and Deidara had managed to convince her that she had better leave her own bed for his 'Sasori-no-danna' to sleep in. _Wooden freak that he is. Where is Deidara going to sleep?_

Fixing her eyes back onto her parent's ceiling, Ino closed her eyes before she could try and think back to this morning and remember what had happened. _Must sleep. Must sleep. Must sleep. Must…_ Eventually Ino's silent mantra bored her into submission and before she could even realise that the voice had stopped she was drifting into a dark dream-world.

* * *

_It was dark when Ino had gone to sleep, but when she woke she got the impression that it was later. Everything bathed in shadows she turned to her right, expecting to see Sakura lying next to her. When she didn't she panicked, immediately jerking up to glance around the room anxiously. Where was she? _

_Checking to make sure she hadn't fallen off of the bed Ino got up and walked to the door. No-one else was in the room and she felt…wrong. She got the impression that no-one else was even in the house because everything was so silent, but her heart was beating so hard and fast that she was sure it could have passed for more than three other people._

_Walking out into the corridor Ino felt cold. Here was bathed in just as many shadows as the bedroom had been and they seemed to be almost crowding in on her. Not being able to shake the butterflies from her stomach or the lump in her throat Ino carefully took a few steps towards the stairs and found that she was halfway down them. _

_There was a noise from down stairs - a muffled shuffling, and she saw something move inside the shop, although she knew it was impossible to be able to see anything in the shop from this angle._ A rat?_It wasn't a rat. If it was then it was a large one._

_She was outside the door leading to the shop now and her hand hesitated just above the handle of the door. She wasn't touching the handle but somehow she knew it was cold. She could hear someone inside the shop now and she froze._ A burglar?

_Whatever it was, Ino could be sure that it was not just her imagination now. Finally gaining the courage to open the door Ino pulled the handle down and pushed. As she did so she heard the mysterious shuffling noise again. This time though it was behind her, and before she could scream a hand was covering her mouth and her arms were restrained by the man's (for she knew the gender instinctively) other arm. Something about this was terribly familiar to Ino._

_She could now hear sounds of struggling inside the room as she fought with her own captor. They moved inside the room, and then there was a huge mirror across the wall and the racks of flowers were suddenly gone._

_It was light, the sun shining through the windows which the mirror had morphed into. She wasn't in her house anymore. Instead she was looking into a memory she had never even lived before. It wasn't hers._

'_Sakura!' It was Sakura's parents who walked in the door, Sakura's parents who were laughing and joking and calling her. And she was floating around upstairs and hovering by the banister. They had walked out of view. And then,_

'_She's dead.'_

_It was familiar, so very familiar, and Ino didn't like it. Everything moved too fast and conversation was cut. In the time it took to blink she was standing downstairs and staring at the bloody hallway. At the end of it were two figures, one with blonde hair and one with red. It shocked her to be captured from behind when she had thought her two enemies to be standing in front of her. They still were._

_It shocked her so much that when the views distorted and whirl-pooled back to the darkened shop she was unable to move. In front of her Sakura was being restrained in much the same way she was. And just as she could plainly see that it was Sasori's arm around her friend she could just as plainly guess that the one wrapped around herself was Deidara's. And watching Sakura's green eyes flare angrily and her stubborn struggling Ino felt out of place. Released from her hold she felt cold once more and traitorous that she should reach out for the warmth when she knew she should fight it. Just like Sakura fought it._

_When her reaching arms connected with bodily warmth Ino opened her eyes, not even knowing she had closed them, to be met with pink hair. As the life-form wriggled against her grip and she found herself holding tighter, Ino looked down the cheerfully light, blood splattered hallway to meet the firm gaze of her two companions._

'_Do it…' An ominous whisper filled the hallway, the voice not even sounding _half_-human. Ino's mouth was dry. There was cold metal in her hand and a warm, metallic-tasting liquid in her mouth. Somehow, she knew there was no question as to whether she would obey. Somehow, there wasn't even a choice. Somehow, Ino knew tha-_

'No!' Ino gasped. She was crying, sweating, despairing and deranged. 'No, no, no…' She breathed, quietly this time, and wrapped her arms more firmly around her source of heat. Wait…what source of heat? Calming her breathing enough to take stock of her surroundings Ino realized that she was fiercely hugging her years-long friend and immediately let go, making sure she was alright.

'You're fine, you're fine. Thank goodness…' Ino whispered, lying back down beside her. _What just happened? What was that all about?_ Wiping away her tears with the back of her hand Ino covered her face, not sure what to do. Eventually she slipped out from under the covers, almost glad of the relatively cool air that greeted her.

'I'm not safe to be here. I don't think I'm safe to be anywhere anymore. What is wrong with me?'

* * *

Deidara had stayed long enough to ascertain that both Kunoichi were out of it before leaving in search of Sasori. Having briefly searched the whole house and found no trace of his 'Danna' Deidara was not feeling in a very good mood.

'Kusou. Where the hell is he, yeah? Does he expect me to babysit them both by myself?' Deidara asked himself angrily, kicking one of the many battered boxes that were stored in the Yamanaka's back room. The box caved in and the metal bolts and odd-bits that it contained scattered across the floor, causing Deidara to jump back in surprise and swear at the noise. Everything having settled down, Deidara ran the back of his hand across his forehead in relief and hummed a quick, 'hmm.'

'Keep it down, idiot. What do you think you're doing?' Sasori hissed from the now-open back door, causing Deidara to jerk up in surprise.

'Sasori-no-da-!' Deidara started in surprise before stopping and collecting himself. Standing up straighter he ran his hand through his hair apparently uncaringly and, avoiding eye contact, muttered coolly, 'Oh nothing, yeah.'

Rolling his eyes at his partner's attempt at acting, Sasori quickly surveyed the scene and sighed.  
'Okay, whatever. Come outside – we need to talk.'

Not really surprised at this Deidara followed obediently. The Yamanaka garden was kept in prime condition. One clear-set path ran through it and split two ways; one way leading to the garden gate and the other to a slightly raised concrete patio area. All the rest of the garden was filled with flowers, the set plots easy to spot.

'The Yamanaka girl is no longer any use to us.' Sasori paused here to see his partner's reaction, both of them now standing on the patio. Deidara forced himself to stay casual, even though he knew what was coming next – why should it matter anyway? 'Oh – no objection?' Sasori continued a minute later, raising a rather thin eyebrow.

'Should there be?' Deidara inwardly swore at the sharpness of his voice.

'Apparently not,' was the dry reply. 'Either way, I just wanted to know whether _you_ wanted to do the honors or if I should.'

Deidara looked away in thought for a moment or two. Outwardly he was unfazed, but inside he was struggling to think of an answer.

'Look – why do we have to kill her, yeah?' He finally asked, somewhat resignedly, expecting Sasori's smirk long before it appeared.

'Ah. So_ now_ we get the objection.' Sasori's amused smile disappeared; it had never really reached his eyes anyway. 'And here I was thinking that you were finally acting like the S-class criminal you're supposed to be.'

'Hey – that's unfair, hmm. I just thought that too many deaths might complicate things.'

'It's complicated enough right now having to 'look after' two fairly powerful kunoichi…or one fairly powerful kunoichi at least. Yamanaka was hard enough and she's the more docile one. Besides – I don't see how three deaths can complicate anything.'

'Two of them and two of us, hmm, it's not too hard. What happens if someone comes to see her again?'

'Then I'll think of something…or jus-'

'Just kill them as well, yeah. I get the picture.'

Noting his partner's sullen tones Sasori decided to wrap the conversation up quickly.  
'Good. In that case let's return to my earlier question…you or me?'

Closing his eyes, Deidara struggled with himself for a few moments more. Finally he sighed and relaxed somewhat.  
'Me, yeah, but I'm doing it alone. I don't want you to be there.'

'Sure, whatever,' Sasori said nonchalantly with a slight shrug of the shoulders. 'But don't take too long with the goodbyes – its cold out here.' He paused. 'Come and get me when you're finished.'

After a quick nod Deidara disappeared back inside and slowly climbed the stairs. _She'll be asleep anyway. I only need to hold her still while the pillow does all the work, yeah…_

Not even the simple-ness of the method though could shake the uncomfortable feeling in Deidara's chest.

'Kusou, yeah.'

* * *

_Perfect__,_ Ino thought to herself as she felt the cool air hit her face. She had borrowed a warm brown cloak from her mother's wardrobe for the journey because she didn't know if she would be able to find shelter anywhere without drawing attention to herself. Now she brought her leg up to rest her foot on the windowsill. Her hands already gripping the window frame Ino took a last look back at the room – and froze. Deidara was standing in the doorway watching her - and when she saw him Ino realized that he was just as stiff as she was.

_Oh Kami-sama! Why? Why now? If only I'd been a bit quicker…if only I'd…wait, why isn't he trying to stop me leaving? _Studying the witness to her flight in more detail Ino saw that he didn't really look like he was all there. In fact he looked, for lack of a better word, shocked. Her hands having loosened from their firm grip Ino hesitated, wondering whether to give up on her escape plan or jump out of the window as quickly as she could.

'Wh-what are you doing, yeah?' Apparently Deidara had re-entered reality and although his voice had started faint it had built up to sharp accusation by the end. Ino shivered from both nervousness and the cold, not being able to bring herself to talk. 'You're supposed to be asleep.'

'As if that's my fau-' Ino snapped, but quickly brought her hand up to cover her mouth. _What am I saying? I'm not going to tell him I had a nightmare!_

'Sorry?'

Ino shook her head. 'I just woke up and needed some fresh air,' She explained simply, hoping he would fall for the cliché excuse; by now she had removed her foot and hands from the window. He didn't reply in words straight away but came further into the room, closing the door behind him.

'I think I might need some fresh air too, hmm.' This was said as he walked towards the window. Ino, seeing him coming, moved to the side a little, glad to be out of the cool breeze anyway. Shivering as cold air blew around his cloak Deidara glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

'Sakura-chan is still resting, which is good, and her-'

'I didn't come to talk about that,' Deidara cut across her medical report and Ino fell silent. Before she could even get a small 'oh' out she felt herself pinned to the wall, her arms restrained by her sides and a kunai at her throat. 'I was sent to kill you, hmm.'

Ino was speechless, really, although inside it was apparent that she had quite a bit to say. _Sent to_ kill_ me? What…why…?__ Oh kami-sama! I'm going to die! I'm going to _die_!_ The sharp edge of the kunai pressed harder against her throat and, closing her eyes in preparation, Ino imagined that she could feel the aura of death and hatred seeping out of her captor.

_Why am I so docile? Why am I not fighting against this? _Just as the pressure of the kunai became unbearable and Ino decided to fight back, the feeling of cold metal at her neck disappeared; not before it managed to cut her though.

Snapping her eyes open at the thud of the kunai hitting the floor Ino expected Deidara's hold on her to loosen as well and for him to stagger backwards, hurt or injured. Nothing happened though and Ino saw, with some surprise, that there had been no external intervention in the fight.

'I can't do it, yeah.' His breathing was heavy, the note of defeat evident, and Ino felt a fresh wave of surprise wash over her. The smash of a fist connecting destructively with the wall just to the side of Ino's face made her jump. She remained silent though, not wanting to invoke more anger on Deidara's part.

'Kusou!' The pain of his bleeding knuckles had apparently only just registered to Deidara. 'Why couldn't you just have been asleep, hmm?' Ino didn't answer because she didn't think he wanted her to, but thought that she was inexplicitly glad that she_ hadn't_ been asleep.

With his left arm already wrapped around her to restrain her arms it didn't take much for Deidara to lean his head down so that their foreheads were touching. 'I'm sorry, hmm.'

This time Ino got the impression that he wanted her to say something back and so she shook her head slightly. 'Don't be.' After all – what was he apologizing for? For not killing her? Ino didn't mind that in the least. The slight move of her head seemed to spark something in Deidara though because he suddenly became animated, pulling away from her and glancing agitatedly at the door.

'You've got to go, yeah, you've got to get away from here,' he muttered hurriedly as he dragged her back over to the window. Ino was surprised at his sudden haste; _does he have a time limit in which to kill me in or something? Is Sasori going to be coming soon?_ Even so she accepted his help and resumed her earlier position of hands gripping the window frame and foot resting on the sill with no real objection. When he gave her a gentle push though, telling her to go, Ino hesitated and turned around to meet his eyes.

'Deidara…' she started, but he shook his head obstinately. Biting her lip Ino settled for a small, 'Thank-you,' before turning back around to face the wind and jumping out to face her freedom. It took less than three seconds for her to be out of Deidara's sight.

_Sasori…don't hurt him for this. Please don't hurt him._

* * *

finito! :)

So how was it? Sorry I didn't put a kiss at the end like some people have suggested I should have! I wanted to emphasise Dei's care for her though because he knows Sasori would kill her if she lingered.

Also I know the dream was a little confusing - but I wrote it like that so as to confuse _Ino,_ not the readers. ;)  
Basically when it switched to the bright house Ino was seeing the world through Sakura's eyes and at the end she's the one who was restraining Sakura.

Thanks for reading and please review!

love,  
~WfCP xxx

**_-edited-_**


	10. Fight

Hey!

Yay, ten chapters edited now!  
I don't really have much of an opinion on this chapter; to me it's neither good nor bad. Neutral then.  
Interesting to see what you think though. ;)

Read and enjoy!

**_-edited-_**

* * *

Biting her lip, Ino settled for a small, 'Thank-you,' before turning back around to face the wind and jumping out to her freedom. It took less than three seconds for her to be out of Deidara's sight.

_Sasori…dont hurt him for this. Please, dont hurt him._

**

* * *

**

**chapter ten:**

**Fight.**

* * *

With it being Spring, a certain amount of rain was expected in Konoha – but considering that it hadn't rained for at least a week Ino thought of it as terribly bad luck that it should start on the night she had chosen to run away. She felt particularly vulnerable because she was running through Konoha's deep forest and desperately hoped that it wouldn't develop into a thunderstorm. Even so she began to head towards where she thought a road was in case lighting struck.

_Of all the nights…I dont even have any spare clothes!_ Ino regretted having to leave in such a rush as she pulled her mother's thick cloak around her tighter. _I'm probably going to catch a cold now._

It was at least an hour before Ino reached the nearest road and by that time it was tipping it down. Her hair (that which wasn't in a ponytail) was plastered to her face and her teeth were chattering. The road was littered with puddles and Ino concentrated on avoiding them, already wet enough and not wanting to drown her feet anymore. Avoiding thinking about where she was going and whence she had come seemed like a good idea to Ino and so she hung her head and focused all her energy on keeping warm. It was easier said than done.

'If I forget everything then I feel so alone. Is it worth it? To leave everything behind is so much harder than I thought,' Ino sighed. 'I wonder if this is what Sasuke felt like.'

Ino continued her lonely journey with a sad face. The rain, although not really needed, hid her tears from the non-existent observers. 'There really is nothing quite like loneliness.'

* * *

'No I didn't!'

Sakura awoke to the loud, defensively spoken words with an inward groan. _I was having a nice sleep as well..._**Yeah! Who woke us?!**

'Be quiet! Try to remember that we still have one kunoichi under our care, Deidara.'

_Deidara...Isnt he that blonde akatsuki mem– Oh!_ It suddenly dawned on Sakura where she was and what had happened previously. How she had come to be lying in a bed rather than on the hard kitchen floor she wasn't quite sure though and, sneaking a quick peek at her right hand, Sakura saw that someone had sealed up the hole. _Ino I assume. At least, I hope._

Deciding to eavesdrop on the enemies' conversation, Sakura made sure her breathing was steady and her chakra under control. At first Sakura was confused by their words but soon she understood enough to make out that Ino had escaped, leaving her on her own. **That bitch!** Inner Sakura shouted angrily and it took some effort to calm herself again. Hoping the two other occupants of the room hadn't noticed her momentary lapse of control Sakura remained calm as she listened in to the rest of their conversation.

'Well I knew there was an attachment with her but I didn't think it was that strong. To endanger our mission and indeed the whole organisation by-'

'I did not let her go, yeah. She was gone when I came in here - I've already told you that - and so if you don't believe me then you can just go to hell, Sasori-no-danna, yeah. It's not like I care. You're long due there anyway, hm.'

There was a silence after this outburst but, apart from worrying whether she had been discovered, Sakura didn't make much of it. Idle banter between enemies was something that was normally ignored, with the exception of that which disclosed vital information with it as well. As it was, Sakura couldn't care less if Sasori did go to hell. _I think I actually agree with that Deidara guy on this one,_ Sakura laughed to herself mentally. Hearing soft footfalls Sakura tensed before she realised that they were walking away from her. She relaxed again as they stopped and a barely audible sigh was heard.

'I don't know what to do with this one. If I go after her and leave you here then I'll be coming back expecting to find that you and pinkie have both eloped - and if I send you after her and guard the Kyuubi brat's friend then I doubt you'll come back.'

'That's both untrue and unfair,' Deidara muttered in defence although he didn't sound all too convincing to Sakura. _Well I'm certainly not going to elope with him._ **And what's the deal with 'Pinkie'?!**

'No - I think that is most definitely fair and at least partly true. Even if you do come back you will come empty handed, regardless of having confronted her or not.'

'Now we're back onto whether I let her go or not, yeah - I'm not dumb Danna, hm.'

An awkward pause followed.

'Well at least let me prove that I'm telling the truth, hm. I know where my loyalties lie and that is definitely not with some blonde-haired, emotionally unstable, scantily dressed slut.'

A low chuckle followed this angry outburst but it was most definitely not from Sakura. She was, in fact, fairly appalled by the speech - both by the language and by the content. However angry she was at Ino for leaving her on her own at the mercy of two dangerous S-class criminals she wouldn't have been as harsh had she been venting her frustration. Perhaps what he had said was true in part, but Sakura hoped that he had good reason to be so violent in his speech. _Then again I don't really know what Ino did to him so I can hardly judge._

'Hmm. Well maybe we can give you a second chance then Deidara. But, as I'm cynical and like to assume the worst, you will be followed and watched by Zetsu.'

'What?' The reaction was immediate and by the tone of it the suggestion was obviously not welcome. 'You can't get him involved, yeah - he'll spread the word so quickly that we'll both be the laughing stock of the entire organisation! Imagine the shame of having lost a kunoichi! Are you mad, Danna, yeah?'

This time the sigh was more audible.

'No I am not mad Deidara. I am also not the one that 'lost' her, nor the one that will take the blame for it. Zetsu reports straight to Pein-sama and so the rest of the organisation will only know if our leader sees it fit for them to hear of it. Be that the case, please remember exactly where your loyalties lie.'

Sakura heard Deidara huff in frustration before exiting the room. Left alone with Sasori she waited for him to follow suit. _But actually, will he want to leave me unguarded?_ With the thought of freedom slowly slipping away Sakura silently despaired before being jolted back to the present by Sasori's faintly hollow voice.

'With a bit of practice you could make a good spy. Unfortunately that practice is sorely lacking and fairly hard to miss.'

Sakura stiffened, realising that with the absence of his partner he must be talking to her. Several replies ran through her head but she remained silent, not wanting to play along with her enemy; for all she knew this could be some weird type of interrogation.

The same soft footfalls she had heard earlier sounded again but this time they came towards her and stopped at the foot of the bed. Grudgingly turning her head and propping herself up so that she could see him properly, Sakura told herself sternly that that was the only politeness she was going to offer him.

'Ah - we've decided to act more civilly this time, yes?' With it being a rhetorical question anyway Sakura gained no joy from refusing to reply. 'Good, that should make things easier then. I don't think we got further than exchanging pleasantries last time you were awake but, getting straight to the task at hand, we need you to tell us where your friend the Kyuubi kid resides.'

Sakura, resisting the urge to fly across the length of the bed and slap him for calling Naruto that, remained still with her mouth firmly closed. _I'm definitely not going to give any information away to our enemies. I'm a Konohagakure kunoichi and I'm proud of it - therefore I will act like one and keep my mouth shut._ **Yeah, we'll show him!**

Frowning at her silence Sasori continued in a more obliging tone,  
'Do you want a bribe for the information then? Money? Weapons? Or I suppose I could always do torture if that's what you're in to.' After a pause he added, 'If you're anything like your friend however then I'll let Deidara handle you - I don't like the mushy stuff myself.'

Sakura blanched a little, taken aback by the business-like air he had given the whole thing; as if he had done it often. Of course she didn't want a bribe - she was merely a fair, honest kunoichi doing her job.

'Would you really give me weapons?' She ventured a moment later however, wondering if they would seriously be that stupid.

Raising an eyebrow at her broken silence Sasori shrugged. 'I wouldn't be anywhere near you when I did, if that's what you meant to ask.'

Defeated, Sakura turned her head away loftily in an attempt to finish their conversation.

'This isn't the place to practice your airs and graces, Sakura.' Sasori told her dryly, shocking her with the use of her proper name. Before she could react properly though the door opened and she snapped her head up to see the blonde haired Akatsuki member she remembered seeing with Ino in the kitchen. _Deidara_

'When can I go, or are we just waiting until she dies of a cold?' He asked impatiently, motioning towards the open window. Somehow they must have both missed it start raining for now it was tipping it down and Sakura guessed at there soon being thunder and lightning.

'Ah, well now you mention it…' Sasori replied jokingly to be met with a blank look from his partner. Not finding it funny, Sakura found herself wondering where Ino was and whether she was, indeed, dying of a cold. _She should be able to look after herself but I certainly wouldn't want to be out there if I was her - better to find some shelter as soon as possible._

'I told Zetsu to come quickly because it was urgent. You can go when he comes.'

'I've actually been here for quite a while,' A new voice sounded from the roof, causing Sakura to start and then recoil in horror when she saw the source of the voice. A head with a venus-fly trap surrounding it was merged into the roof with one half being white and the other black. His white half had spoken before and now his black half added, '**I've just been trying to work out what the urgency was for.**'

Sakura had seen the golden eyed villain before in the bingo book - but coming face to face with someone and seeing their picture is another matter entirely. His teeth were also sharper than she had thought them to be (although she had hardly studied his photograph much) and he looked altogether far too animalistic to be human. Or perhaps he looked more like a plant than an animal. Either way, Sakura didn't find it hard to believe why he had joined a freak organisation such as Akatsuki.

'Deidara-' Sasori started but was cut off by his partner before he could continue.

'Sasori-no-danna unfairly blames me for one of the kunoichi we were holding hostage's escape and doesn't think I can be trusted. So he called you to follow me around in the rain as I search for her, hm.'

'I admit we were hoping for something more. . **enjoyable.**' Zetsu replied, disheartened.

'You'll be happy to know then that the girl we're looking for is now more harm than good to us. Feel free to do what you want with her when you find her,' Sasori replied informatively. It seemed to Sakura as if he was trying to make up for the blandness of the mission, although she didn't herself see it as much of an incentive. Zetsu appeared to disagree with her however for his eyes glinted and he bowed, as well as one can while protruding from the ceiling anyway, in thanks.

'**So be it.** Let's go.'

With that Deidara bowed respectively to his partner before jumping out of the window into the now-dark night. When Sakura looked back up to the roof Zetsu's head had disappeared and she wondered what technique he used to be able to merge his body with his surroundings. _A pretty useful one if you think about it. Why couldn't I have been gifted with something like that? Although I doubt I would have been able to put up with his physical traits for long._** I bet that Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) doesn't help his social life any either!**

Even her internal bitching couldn't dispel the harsh reality of her situation though and, although she tried to stop it, she felt a silent tear run down her face. Her head was lowered so that she could stare at the sheets instead of Sasori but she still hated herself for showing such weakness in front of him.

_It's fine really though. I'm needed for information so they aren't going to get rid of me just yet. Unlike Ino. Sasori said that she was more harm than good to them. Even though she left me here I still hope they don't find her. Please, Kami-sama, don't let them find her._

More tears were falling unbidden from her eyes and as Sakura raised a hand to wipe them away she saw that Sasori had retreated to the other side of the room and was now sitting on Ino's mother's make-up table's stool. Guessing that he was probably uncomfortable with her crying she took note of the information and stored it in the back of her mind before turning her eyes to the window. The rain was still pouring down heavily and Ino's face flashed before her eyes. _The rain will hide her scent._

'Run, Ino, run,' Sakura breathed out loud before closing her eyes and letting herself fall back down onto the bed, oblivious to Sasori's raised eyebrow as he read her lips and followed her movement with his eyes.

* * *

_Kusou._

Valiantly continuing her journey down the road, Ino fruitlessly tried to stop her shoulders from shaking. She stumbled and tripped several times but whenever she fell down she forced herself to rise again and continue. _There has to be some sort of civilisation soon._ Too tired to think properly, Ino couldn't remember where the road went or how long it was supposed to take. Sure enough though, soon two large closed gates came into view and Ino's heart jumped for joy. Forcing herself to hurry, not even thinking about what would happen when she reached her destination, she ended up falling over even more frequently.

Now so drenched, battered and bruised that she felt more like part of the well-travelled road than a Konohagakure kunoichi, Ino took one last stumbling step and fell to a crouch before the gates. Focusing on the ground and trying to steady her breathing, Ino hoped that they had a nice, warm place for her to stay in this town. Judging by the gates, which towered very high above her, Ino assumed that this place was very large._ It looks somehow familiar though…_she thought, puzzled.

Hearing the 'whish' of the air parting Ino pulled back slightly in a vain attempt to protect herself. It appeared that the energy was wasted however for it was not an attack that awaited her. Instead one of the wall guards landed expertly in front of her and Ino saw, as she glanced up at the man, that he was wearing a Konohagakure headband - just like her own.

'Who are you and what is your purpose here?' The guard snapped somewhat wearily and Ino had to feel sorry for him that his shift had to be in this weather. Not trusting herself to speak properly, Ino merely lifted a shaking finger and pointed to the ninja headband that she wore around her neck. At once the guard relaxed and he bent down to help her up.

'Rough mission then?' He asked and Ino wearily nodded her head, trying not to think about how she had just wasted so much time only to travel in a big circle back to her starting place. 'Terrible weather tonight,' he commented but this time Ino didn't reply. Instead she collapsed onto the guard as her eyes welcomed the all-enveloping darkness.

* * *

With the trees already passing by at an alarming rate Deidara quickened his pace once more, knowing that Zetsu was travelling along through the ground at the same speed. He couldn't feel Ino's chakra anywhere although it was straining him to run so fast and search for chakra at the same time. Not knowing who they were looking for Zetsu could offer no help in this matter and Deidara swore in frustration as he slipped on a particularly wet branch and fell to the ground. Landing in a crouch he rested there for a minute and watched the water dripping off his nose and chin splash into a shallow puddle in the mud.

_Where is she, yeah? I've been running for two hours, continually widening the circle around Konoha, and I still can't find her. Kusou; I wish I knew which direction she was headed in. But surely she will have to stop for a rest, hm - for shelter? Where's the nearest town from here? Where would she go?_

The puddle parted to allow a bi-coloured face accompanied with dripping green hair to emerge. Deidara, not expecting the sudden and slightly scary apparition, reacted by jumping in surprise and then pulled back, trying to hide his fear as the golden eyes narrowed at him.

'**You're getting weaker. **Is it this girl?'

Glaring back, Deidara stood up so that he had an even bigger height advantage over Zetsu.

'I'm not getting weaker, yeah,' he snapped, his hands straying dangerously to the clay pouches attached to his waist; 'You just caught me off guard, hmm.'

Zetsu materialised fully from the ground because, let's face it, having to look up to someone when your head is half-submerged in water isn't a pleasant experience. Deidara tensed, expecting a fight.

'You should never be off-guard - but, more importantly, why did you stop? **I don't feel any other chakra presences near.**'

'Nothing, yeah.' Deidara didn't feel a great liking for the cannibalistic Akatsuki spy and so tried to keep his speech to a minimum.

'**You're lost.** Yes, we should be heading towards civilisation.' Zetsu paused. 'If she has any sense then that's where she would be heading.'

Hmph-ing because Zetsu had beaten him to the suggestion, Deidara shrugged; 'I don't know my way around here very well.'

'I do.' The answer was short and, after a brief glance up at the still-falling rain, Zetsu grimaced and motioned for Deidara to follow him. Pulling a face at his companion's back Deidara grudgingly obeyed the slight hand gesture and after travelling about a mile they reached the main road leading into and away from Konohagakure.

Making to jump down into the road Deidara felt himself grabbed roughly from behind and fell back to land hard on the branch which his assailant was standing on. Looking up in surprise to be met with a harsh glare and a turned back, Deidara remembered that travelling along the road would be an act of pure stupidity. Better to travel a few trees into the forest to avoid being immediately seen. _Why did I forget that?_

Pushing himself up into a standing position, Deidara followed after the black cloaked man in front of him. Now that they were travelling more slowly and with less risk of slipping he allowed himself to think some more.

_I am weaker, even if I won't admit it. Is Zetsu right, hmm? Is it 'this girl'? Why should it be? I've heard tales of love making people stronger, not weaker. Then again - this isn't love, is it? It was a stupid mutual attraction, not love. Why am I so desperate to find her then? Why am I so desperate to know that she's okay? Surely not just because she's pretty, hmm. I'm not quite that shallow I don't think._

Deidara clenched his hands behind him as Zetsu upped the pace.

_Kusou. Is he doing this to distract me from my thoughts? Tch, probably. But if he's with me and he's been given permission to kill Ino when we find her then the best thing to do would be to make sure that we _don't_ find her. Damn you Sasori-no-danna - this is all your fault. She wouldn't tell on us, I'm sure. Although…perhaps that's just me being hopeful. She probably doesn't feel the same way as me. Why should she? I-_ Deidara stopped abruptly, realising that Zetsu was no longer in sight.

_Oh damn it all to hell - where's that bastard got to now, yeah?_ Glaring around him; left, right, in front, behind, above and below; Deidara hissed in frustration. _Did I lose him?_

A kunai whistled through the air and Deidara ducked just in time, turning and throwing one back simultaneously before looking to see who his target was. Both weapons having been dodged successfully, the two black cloaked men faced each other warily.

'What the hell do you think you're doing Zetsu, yeah?' Deidara growled, his eyes narrowed and distrusting.

'**Just testing**,' was the equally growled reply. He was calmer than Deidara though. When he received no reply except for a continued, hateful glare however, Zetsu smiled. It was a predatory smile.

'Of course if you _want_ to fight us, then I have no objection. **Nor I.**'

Tempted, Deidara hesitated._ I don't really know his skills or abilities so accepting would be insensible. However he is seriously pissing me off and it would give Ino more time to run away. Hmm. What to do, what to do?_

Closing his eyes and turning his back to Zetsu, Deidara relaxed his position. Sensing that Zetsu had relaxed as well he allowed himself a small smirk before somersaulting into the air and using the skills he had used on Ino when he'd first met her, taught to him by 'an Uchiha'.

_Idiot, yeah._

* * *

finito! :)

Well? Excellent? Terrible?  
It'd be good to hear what you thought of this chapter; feedback really helps me and criticism is always welcome. :)

love,  
~WfCP xxx

**_-edited-_**


	11. Conclusion to the Fight

Hey!

So I'm steadily editing my way through these chapters. I should be making History notes because my exams are very soon but I just keep finding myself back on here! It's like even though I said I wouldn't write another chapter until the exams finish I simply can't pull myself away from this story! lols. Oh well - I _do_ have another week until my first exam so perhaps I'm just lulled by a false sense of security. I imagine when study leave starts I'll be panicking to high heaven. *rolls eyes*

Anyway,  
Read and enjoy!

**_-edited-_**

* * *

Closing his eyes and turning his back to Zetsu, Deidara relaxed his position. Sensing that Zetsu had relaxed as well he allowed himself a small smirk before somersaulting into the air and using the skills he had used on Ino when he first met her, taught to him by 'an Uchiha'.

_Idiot, yeah. _

_

* * *

_

**chapter eleven:**

**Conclusion To The Fight.**

_

* * *

_

As the kunai flew through the air towards their target and Deidara closed his eyes, still in the air, so that he could better track down his adversary's chakra Zetsu dodged, pulling out a kunai of his own and deflecting any further projectiles travelling in his direction. Deidara, anticipating the defence, zigzagged from tree to tree above Zetsu, successfully managing to send shruiken at him from all sides. Noticing which direction Zetsu chose to jump in in order to avoid the attack Deidara threw an explosive tag after him and allowed himself a small grin at the 'Bang!' of the tag as it exploded. Zetsu's chakra had disappeared and for a moment Deidara wondered if the Akatsuki spy had really been that weak. Assuming the worst, Deidara tried to use his time effectively by thrusting his hands into his clay pouches and digesting enough clay to make two small clay birds to throw at Zetsu. The appearance of several kunai through the smoke from the explosion forced Deidara to commend his pessimism and decide that it was much more likely that Zetsu had masked his chakra and used a replacement technique than actually died.

Reaching into his weapon's pouch, Deidara noted with some unhealthy surprise that he had used up all of his weapons and tried to dodge the oncoming missiles unaided. Most of the kunai passed him by but one embedded itself into his upper left arm and another barely missed being fatal; succeeding, instead, in cutting his cheek and removing half of his bang.

Deidara hissed in pain and frustration as he fell to the floor, his right hand moving to tightly grip the wound as he righted himself to land on two feet. Straightening up from a crouch as the 'whizz' of several shruiken parting the air alerted him to their approach, Deidara viciously yanked the offending metal from his flesh with his mouth and used it to deflect Zetsu's indirect attack. Swearing profusely as he realised that his left arm was effectively useless due to its injury Deidara stayed alert for any more attacks, praying that Zetsu would be out of weapons by now as well. The mouths in his palms continued to feed chakra into the clay as he waited on guard.

_Where is he, yeah? I can't feel his chakra anymore. Kusou, hm._

As Deidara looked around and above him in vain, a hand shot up from the ground, intending to grab his ankle and pull him down as well. Seeing the movement just in time though Deidara jumped away from the ground, landing on a tree branch instead and still gripping the kunai Zetsu had used to injure him firmly in his mouth.

Leaning his back against the bark Deidara momentarily forgot about Zetsu's most used jutsu as he began to mould the clay his palm-mouths had just spat out. Because of his temporary lack of memory Deidara found himself surprised when he was seized from behind, a Kunai (probably one of Zetsu's last, reviewing the fight before) pressed against his neck. Uttering a strangled growl of defeat, Deidara threw his head back in a last attempt at inflicting some damage to Zetsu. Blonde hair met with a firmly closed green fly trap however and Deidara hissed several swear words as the kunai renewed its position against his neck.

The rain still falling around them was the only sound heard by Deidara except for his heavy breathing and the deep roll of thunder. The weather seemed rather too much like prophetic fallacy for his liking too as the rain streamed down his face, both his arms powerless to wipe the moisture away.

_I can't use my clay birds without killing myself at the same time...which is really a last-resort attack, hmm._

What seemed like hours later to Deidara, he felt Zetsu materialise fully from the tree trunk and the pressure against his neck increased. It reminded him somewhat of how he had treated Ino before letting her go - although they had been facing each other then, not back to front. Also the circumstances were completely different; Zetsu was not in love with him - at least he didn't think he was - and Deidara had provoked the attack, not innocently been assaulted.

'Kusou,' Deidara whispered in a strained voice as he felt the sharp metal pierce his skin and heard Zetsu mutter behind him,

'**This is all your fault for taking up my challenge.** You should have thought it through first.' Here he paused to be answered with haggard breathing from Deidara. 'Pein-sama values me above you **so you won't be missed.**'

As Zetsu paused again Deidara took a sharp intake of breath as he felt the blade cut deeper, his blood now flowing freely from the gash. Gritting his teeth and bearing the pain though he tried to lift his head proudly and think of his life.

_It's entirely possible that I'm going to die here, yeah; I don't think Zetsu is the kind to make idle threats. If I do then I think I've lived a fairly full life, hmm…but it isn't finished yet. I've still got things to do. I've still got Ino. Well, I mean, I haven't _got_ her, yeah…but that's the problem. I can't die without knowing that the one I love is safe, hmm. Because I think I know for certain why I let her live and risked my life for her now. I think…I think…_

Deidara was dragged back to the present reluctantly as he felt Zetsu lean down to whisper harshly in his ear,

'**I hope you've learn't your lesson for the next life, Deidara-san.** Until then then…sayournara!'

With that, the blade was given a final thrust inwards before being roughly extracted and dropped to the floor, Deidara following it's example. The sting in his shoulder forgotten due to the excruciating pain in his neck, Deidara found himself smiling bitterly nonetheless as he hit the floor.

_What a stupid death. This isn't even funny and yet I'm still laughing._

Coughing up blood as he chuckled, Deidara almost missed Zetsu's silent departure. Out of the corner of his eye though he saw the spy begin to disappear back into the tree-bark. Before he could de-materialise fully though, Deidara gave a strangled growl and moved his arms jerkily, throwing two stream-lined birds at the half-solid plant-man before forming a seal and watching as they enlarged. Zetsu's eyes widened as time seemed to slow and a harsh-sounding 'Katsu!' somehow worked it's way out of Deidara's bloodied mouth.

The explosion lit up their section of the wood spectacularly and Deidara only just managed to escape being killed by the explosion by a well-placed fallen tree which shielded him from the worst of the blast. The tree also blocked his vision and he was unable to see whether his attack had had any effect. When the smoke cleared though and Deidara managed to roll into a better position to see the destruction he had caused Zetsu had gone and his tree lay in shattered pieces all over the ground. Coughing up more blood, Deidara allowed himself a satisfied smirk at the damage he had caused.

_I think, finishing off my earlier thought, that I love Ino. Kami-sama - if there is any justice in this world at all then let her live. Don't let my life have been wasted for nothing. Don't let it have been wasted...hmm._

* * *

It had only taken two hours after Deidara and Zetsu's departure for Sakura to become so restless and so hungry that she felt as if she couldn't possibly hold out any longer. Neither she nor Sasori had moved since she had collapsed in a crying fit back onto the bed and it was with great reluctance that she was the first to break the silence. It felt to her almost as if she was losing some weird, twisted challenge.

'Ok. I'm going to get some food,' she explained composedly as if she had been planning it for a while, managing to avoid looking at him as she spoke. 'Do you want some?'

She didn't really expect him to answer her, and expected even less that he would reply in the affirmative, and so was not surprised when he gave no indication of having heard her at all. His following her out of the door and into the kitchen didn't surprise her either, knowing that to take his eyes off of her would be an error on his part indeed. When he joined her at the fridge though she had to resist the urge to question him; _being a puppet, does he even need to eat?_

'Are you hungry?' She couldn't help voicing a minute later however when he continued to examine the contents of the fridge. He looked a little taken aback to Sakura by her repeated forwardness and she only just managed to hide a smirk; _he doesn't like my mood swings…that was blatantly obvious when I started crying a while back._

'Perhaps,' Sasori muttered shortly in reply, not even trying to meet her unwavering gaze as he produced from the fridge an instant packet of ramen. Raising an eyebrow at the relatively unhealthy choice Sakura turned back to the cupboards she was supposed to be searching through and pulled out a packet of rice and some vegetables. Watching Sasori out of the corner of her left eye as he sorted through a stack of pans on the counter to find one the right size for instant ramen, Sakura thought she would try once more.

'That's not particularly healthy,' she commented, closing the cupboard and searching around in the cutlery drawer for a chopping knife to cut the vegetables up with. Thus, too busy searching for a knife, Sakura missed her companion's death-glare. 'I can always make you something if you want. Probably better for you too...' Sakura continued mindlessly, ignorant of the animosity building up in the atmosphere.

'For the last time - no,' Sasori replied with a forced calmness, not having actually stated his disagreement with the idea before. Looking up in surprise at his language and tone Sakura turned so that her back was against the counter, hands resting on the top and head tilted to the right, as she innocently raised an eyebrow.

'Why not?'

Giving up on looking for the right-sized pan and leaving the instant ramen packet on the side of the counter Sasori sighed and then turned to her, his deep brown eyes calculating. Shifting his position very quickly before Sakura could react she found him in front of her, a few inches away, facing her with his hands placed firmly on top of hers to stop her from trying to fight back.

'Let's put it this way…would you like _me_ to make dinner for _you_?'

**No, duh - you'd probably poison it or something**, Inner Sakura replied in silent sarcasm before it clicked; _Oh! _

Her realisation must have shown on her face because Sasori let her go with a muttered, 'Exactly,' and returned to rooting through the pans. Sakura, now feeling extremely stupid, went and fetched a chopping board to cut the vegetables on.

The rest of the cooking was fairly uneventful and was done in exam-like conditions; Sakura focusing on her task with just the right intensity to keep her mind from wandering to other matters, and Sasori with enough to channel his anger at Deidara out safely while maintaining a watch on his own charge.

* * *

'Fucking…asexual…sonofa…bitch.' The words were issued from a bloodied mouth, the heaving of the owner's body suggesting that he was either worn out or in great pain; in actuality it was both. Far from being dead, as Deidara had thought he was going to be, he had had enough strength to drag himself (with one arm - his left arm still hanging limp and useless at his side) all but half a mile.

Now, lying soaked through to the skin twenty meters or so outside Konoha's main gates, he stopped to rest once more; _not long…to go…now._ Deidara would have thought it was weird that even his thoughts were disjointed had he been able to think coherently at that moment in time. As it was he merely gritted his teeth to stop them from chattering and stretched out his right hand again to latch onto the rough road ahead.

With his hand-hold secured he pulled his tired, sore body forward with tantalising slowness until he had advanced a few feet. Why he wasn't dead yet after dragging himself so far was anyone's guess and the thought had captivated Deidara's mind much over his harsh journey.

His cloak, battered and ripped, had been discarded long ago and his clay pouches and scratched out headband scarce ten minutes ago in a clump of bushes near the road (he had thrown them, not wanting to waste more energy by going off course). Now, having closed the gap between himself and the gates by another metre or two, Deidara collapsed for the last time on his journey.

'Kusou, hmm,' he groaned mutedly as he let his head rest on the cold ground, no longer able to distinguish between wet and dry as there was nothing of the latter to compare to.

As his eyesight began to lose focus and black spots to block out his vision however Deidara saw someone running towards him from the direction of Konohagakure. Hoping against hope that whoever it was wouldn't recognise him in association with Akatsuki Deidara tried to stay awake to follow through the interrogation but ended up falling limp before the watch guard even reached him.

'Hmm.'

* * *

Tea at Ino's house was very different from her own and Sakura found it hard to hide her discomfort. For one there was complete silence as they ate - which was something hated by Sakura anyway; it made eating in front of people so much more awkward. Secondly, no matter how much she needed the toilet, Sakura knew that if she left her food for even one second there was a good possibility of it being spiked - and after all her hard work in preparing it she didn't want it to go to waste. Finally, thirdly, when the phone rang there was an increase to the awkwardness - ended only by the silent mutual consent to ignore the incessant ringing.

Shortly after both plates were empty and washed up (courtesy of Sakura) both occupants found themselves sitting in boredom at the table. Had eating not taken so long then Sakura might have had the excuse that she needed the toilet but, with the feeling having vanished, she didn't feel the motivation needed to begin the lie.

'To save us both a lot of trouble, why don't you just tell me now where the kyuubi brat is being kept?' Sasori ventured once again, obstinate in his insistence of polite questioning as opposed to less humane ways.

Sakura winced when he called Naruto what he did and just about restrained herself from attacking him again. 'Don't call him that,' she hissed instead and received a bemused raise of an eyebrow.

'Naruto then. Where is he?'

Taken aback by the uninterested and passive reply Sakura opened her mouth and then closed it again, her face darkening into a dangerous glare.  
'Do you even care about anything except your own conceited ideals and-'

'No - what gave you the impression I might?' Sasori cut across her, not serving to daunt her in the least but rather enrage her further as she stood up abruptly, slamming her fist onto the table and causing the strong wood to crack.

'Do you even know what you're saying - what you're _asking_? What makes you think that I would even_ consider _betraying my-my team-mate to someone who has no respect for anyone apart from himself...especially _you_!' Here Sakura paused, only to be interrupted again.

'Oh well I'm _sorry_,' was the sarcastic reply. 'Would it help any if I started to use honorifics or wore a mask? Would you think any better of me if I did?'

'No - worse.'

'Then,' Sasori started, only to be cut off mid-speech by,

'Then why don't you just get on with it and torture me? Why don't you actually get serious? I'm not going to tell you anything no matter _what_ you do, so there isn't any point in this stupid banter - I-'

'Oh, that's interesting,' Sasori muttered quietly, almost to himself, but managing to disrupt Sakura's rant enough for her to hear his comment all the same. 'I didn't expect you to_ speed up_ your demise…not before I'd really started anyhow.'

'Then you admit you were time-wasting!' Sakura crowed triumphantly, only to be met with more bemusement.

'I never denied it.'

The door creaking open stopped Sakura from replying as she turned abruptly to see Zetsu standing in the doorway. Her hand had immediately gone to where her weapons pouch was normally found before she realised that it had disappeared.

_Kusou._

Sakura waited for Zetsu to move out of the way to allow the blonde-haired member to enter carrying Ino - or perhaps even to announce that he was following just behind. She didn't expect him however to close the door behind him and walk over to the table, running his cold eyes over the deep crack running the length of the thick oak.

As he gingerly reached out a hand to trace the line Sakura couldn't help wondering whether Zetsu was totally oblivious to the awkward silence that had fallen in the room or not. When he walked over to the window to stare out at the rain though, still silent, Sakura sneaked a glance at Sasori to see him watching her. Flinching at the connection and forgetting about her rant of before Sakura backed up so that she had her back against the wall to quell some of her vulnerability and averted her eyes.

'Sakura - sit down,' Sasori commanded blandly, not expecting a refusal. She did as he said, suddenly compliant, and so he continued - this time addressing Zetsu; 'Where's Deidara?'

It was a while before Zetsu replied. When he did it both served to multiply the curiosity and quell the number of questions.  
'**He won't be coming back.'**

Somehow it chilled Sakura, the way he said it, although she knew that she shouldn't care. The Akatsuki member, Deidara, was just another enemy - one she had hardly been involved with and just another death in a world where hundreds of thousands must die every second. Maybe then it had only been the dangerous way it had been spoken in that had scared her - and perhaps the fact that the man who had said it had apparently no qualms what so ever in killing a member of his own small organisation.

_How much more willing would he be then to kill someone who was their enemy?_

She could see that Sasori was stuck as to what to say. He looked as if the information hadn't quite sunk in yet. When it finally did though he said nothing on the death; only, 'And the girl?'

A smirk tugged at Zetsu's lips.  
'We thought we would grant him his dying wish.'

Equally, a frown tugged at Sasori's lips.  
'Sakura could have done better.'

It was, apparently, the best insult he could think of at the time. Not impressed, Sakura's eyes flashed once and her fist clenched under the table before she silently counted to ten; knowing that, as it was a private grudge, she shouldn't interfere.

'**Love destroys people. **He was no longer an asset to our organisation,' Zetsu justified to be met with a deep sigh and the sound of a chair scraping against the floor.

'Tell that to Pein-sama then. It wasn't my fault, had nothing to do to me, is no longer any of my business and I wash my hands clean of the whole thing - got it?'

Zetsu bowed very slightly to show his understanding, his mouth threatening to upturn at the edges again.  
'With pleasure.'

With that he left, merging with the floor before disappearing altogether. Sakura stared at the area of flooring Zetsu had been standing in for a long while after he had left. Sasori filled the spot by the window contemplatively, able to see Sakura in the glass lest she try anything.

_Well it seems that luck is on our side then, doesn't it Ino-chan? Thank-you Kami-sama and I pray that you continue to favour us. With Sasori having to keep his eye on _me_ he won't have time to find you Ino - so I suppose you're safe anyhow. Perhaps I am still a little bitter about being left behind. _

_Don't worry though Naruto-kun - I'll never betray you. Never. I may have been useless, may have never been able to save Sasuke-kun, but I'm definitely not going to fail with both of you. Your whereabouts is safe with me._

* * *

finito! :)

So how was it? I loved the Sasori/Sakura parts myself because I really do love that pairing. Before I get your hopes up though (well some people's hopes up anyway) I should point out that there definitely _isn't_ going to be a Saso/Saku pairing in this story. Not that I'm against multi-pairing stories or thought I wouldn't be able to write it but because I know what happens next in the story now and it's simply not possible.  
-You'll understand too when you read the next chapter. ;)

love,  
~WfCP xxx

**_-edited-_**

* * *


	12. Kami sama?

Hey!

So chapter 12, hm? Oh dear. I don't want to foreshadow what happens for those of you reading it for the first time but...oh dear. One of the most moving chapters in the fic. That's also why it's one of the shortest. I hope you like it though! ;)

( The Title of this chaper: 'Kami-sama?' means 'God?' )

_Warning: this chapter contains drug usage._

**_-edited-_**

* * *

_Don't worry though Naruto-kun - I'll never betray you. Never. I may have been useless…may have never been able to save Sasuke-kun…but I'm definitely not going to fail with both of you. Your whereabouts is safe with me._

* * *

**chapter twelve:**

**Kami sama?**

* * *

'…ara you fool.'

The sound of Sasori speaking, even so quietly to himself, was enough to bring Sakura back to the present in time to hear the last part of his sentence. Then he turned, apparently finished thinking, to stare at her. Walking over to the door he held it open and motioned for her to follow him.

'Believe it or not I was given a time limit to finish this mission in; and I really hate to keep people waiting,' Sasori explained as Sakura followed him into Ino's room. He headed over to the window, opened it and briefly peered outside before withdrawing and closing it again. 'So if you would like to take a seat…?' He left it hanging casually as he motioned towards the bed. Even so, Sakura didn't get the impression that he would be so casual if she refused.

_He only wants me to sit down. It would be foolish to refuse and pick a fight with him so soon - especially without my weapons-pouch._

Sakura sat, tensely, on the edge of Ino's bed where Sasori had pointed and watched as he fished inside his cloak for something. Withdrawing a piece of cloth that looked suspiciously like a handkerchief Sasori glanced up at Sakura to see her relax slightly at the sight of what he was holding.

'You idiot,' he breathed, too quiet for her to hear, as he dropped the material to reveal a kunai underneath - something which he immediately proceeded to throw at his pink-haired adversary.

Sakura saw the metal too late to be able to fully dodge it unharmed and time seemed to slow as the sharp edge of the kunai cut closely past her right cheek, drawing a thin string of dark red blood with it as it did so. Immediately summoning chakra to her hands to act as a weapon Sakura didn't anticipate Sasori moving so fast. For before she could jump away to face him properly in a battle-stance he had pinned her to the bed by a foot on her chest and grabbed both of her dangerously flailing hands.

Aiming a chakra-enforced foot at his head instead, Sakura saw the thin chakra strings protruding from Sasori's fingers too late to avoid her legs being forcibly caught and stopped. Panting in desperation she tried to push herself up enough to use her mouth as a weapon and bite him but was stopped from going far by the sandaled foot pressing firmly down on her chest. Thus, with her breathing restricted as well as her movement, Sakura struggled feebly before giving up in preference of trying to conserve her energy for when an opportunity presented itself.

Glaring defiantly up at her captor Sakura realised that he wasn't worn out in the least and would have looked quite bored if there wasn't a seriousness about him that hadn't been there before in his polite speech and hand gestures. A stray blue chakra string disappearing inside Sasori's cloak caught Sakura's attention and she watched intently as it withdrew, holding a small packet of white powder; hardly three pinches of the stuff. Immediately her mind screamed _drugs!_ and she jerked against the strong hold, remembering the brief lessons she had had at school about them.

_They're dangerous and addictive. They're even worse than alcohol - and I've seen what that does to Tsunade-sama. They have a lot of side-effects as well and are altogether not wanted in my body by me. Ever. The end._

Sakura watched with a tightly closed mouth as more chakra strings branched off current ones to take a firm grip on her arms, freeing Sasori's own hands to handle the fine powder. He hesitated once the packet was discarded though, taking in her securely shut mouth and rigid posture.

'This stuff doesn't just fall from the sky you know,' he muttered dryly, watching her with disdain. 'I paid good money for this.'

Sakura didn't bother to ask who he had paid good money to for it or why he had bothered or whether he was an addict himself - for they were pointless and irrelevant questions and opening her mouth would leave her at risk anyway. Unfortunately, when you're bound so firmly that you can't move much but for your mouth and eyes, it's likely that you won't be given the choice as to whether you want to accept an offer or not. Also, unluckily for Sakura, was that for all her drug lessons in school she had missed the one where they had explained different ways of taking them.

Sasori's left hand confused her at first as it covered her mouth, serving only to help her defiance in her opinion; but when his right hand (containing the white powder) cupped itself around her nose Sakura realised that she was supposed to sniff the powder up through her nostrils.

_Kusou,_ she swore mentally as she realised that she could no longer breathe through her mouth and that her air supply was running low. _If I breathe air in through my nose then I won't be able to avoid taking the powder in with it. Why the hell does he want to drug me anyway?_

Unable to find an answer to her silent query Sakura tried to blow the fine powder particles away by exhaling sharply through her nose. When this attempt only succeeded in causing her nose to tickle and itch however Sakura regretted not thinking about her actions first. As soon as Sakura felt her stomach begin to churn as if in excitement or fear though she knew that it would only be a matter of time before her body would no longer be able to stay awake with the oxygen it had in it.

_I can't think properly. Soon I'll pass out. Now I only need to wait until tha-_  
No sooner had Sakura thought that then her body reacted instinctively to the desperate need for air and inhaled sharply. Immediately her nostrils felt like they were on fire, her stomach sick and her brain exploding. It calmed down gradually though to a dull burn, nervous excitement and a great deal of light-headedness - for one of the things adults tend to avoid mentioning about drugs is that they do in fact have shot term positive effects.

Having closed her eyes while her brain was reacting to the alien substances in her body, Sakura opened them to be met with a bright white light. Quickly blinking to try and dispel the blinding light Sakura realised that her efforts were in vain.

_Where am I? Am I dead?_

Sakura closed her eyes again to see that the light was even burned into the inside of her eyelids. With her senses now heightened and confused Sakura felt herself begin to shiver in a feverish delirium, her face flushed and body overheating.

'Sakura.' The voice was both familiar and alien to her and Sakura jerked her head from side to side with her eyes still shut as if trying to work out where the voice had come from. 'Sakura.' The voice came again and this time Sakura braved opening her eyes before instinctively closing them again when met with the same bright light as before.

'K-kami-sama?' She ventured hesitantly, surprised at how easily the words flowed from her mouth. Even though her senses were heightened it felt as if her body was numb and so it took some effort on her part to locate her right arm (suspended in the air) and reach forwards, searching for the voice.

'Yes, Sakura?' The affirmative answer, although plausible, still surprised Sakura.

'A-am I…in Heaven?'

'Not yet. First you must be tried.' This time the answer was much quicker in coming and Sakura briefly wondered why he had been so hesitant to answer before; though she had already forgotten what the earlier question had been anyway. Nervously, Sakura gave a small laugh.

'Have I lead a good life then?'

A picture of Sasuke flashed into her mind at this and Sakura began to fear.  
_I never managed to save him. My whole life I've been a failure. Why should I deserve to go to Heaven? Why should I deserve anything - I haven't done anything to deserve anything for anyway and…um…oh Kami-sama…yes, Kami-sama. He's here, now. I've never been overly religious but I've tried to follow a strict moral code. I've helped my village, respected my ancestors…I'm not evil…I-_ Sakura paused, forgetting what she was going to think next.

'Can you read my thoughts?' She asked before she knew she was talking and so missed the awkward pause.

'First I must ask _you_ the questions,' was the firm reply.

_Oh - did I ask him something?_

'Number one - do you think you've lived a good life?'

* * *

Sasori watched the flushed, young, pink-haired girl lying on the bed as she answered his questions without a second thought and had to wonder just how stupid or delirious she was.

_Perhaps I overdosed her,_ he ventured with a frown, noting the rushed, excited way in which she spoke. _Or perhaps she's just overly religious._ After all, Sasori hadn't particularly _meant_ to pretend he was a God. He had only wanted to confuse her enough to mess up her moral code and get the information that way - but since she had suggested the idea of him being a deity Sasori hadn't wanted to turn the offer down.

_She's definitely gullible, whatever else_, Sasori decided, keeping the small flash-light he had found concealed in his cloak trained on her eyes; _and with the help of the drugs I gave her she's aquired a rather short memory-span. In fact I could probably by-pass all of these tediously insignificant questions and get straight to the point if I'm careful._

Thus, being careful, Sasori paused for a minute to think.  
'Sakura…' he started after what he deemed to be enough time for her to have forgotten what had been said before, '…as the last test you must answer me a question about someone you really cared about while you were alive.'

* * *

'Sakura…as the last test you must answer me a question about someone you really cared about while you were alive.'

Sakura heard the question with some relief; _at least this is the last test_. Despite this, she couldn't remember how many tests or questions had gone before or what they had included. Sakura was already bored of them and felt restless in her still position. Beginning to forget what the last test even was Sakura tried to move around - only to find that she was being kept in place by something. She made a small noise of discontentment.

'Uzumaki Naruto, your team-mate, is currently being hidden away for his own and everyone else's safety. Do you know where he is?'

'Hmm,' Sakura replied, thinking. For some reason she felt as if she had been asked this question before, not too long ago, and received a strong feeling of deja-vu. _Perhaps that's because it's fate though_, Sakura explained mentally, trying to sound at least a little knowledgeable. Realising she had forgotten the question again Sakura fidgeted and shifted as much as she could to try and get rid of the restlessness she felt; it was gnawing away at her and making her feel like she would explode or simply wither into nothingness if she didn't run around or do something active very soon.

'Uzumaki Naruto - where is he?' Sakura's God persisted and this time Sakura heard a note of urgency that hadn't been there before. She giggled.

'What's the rush? Your presence is making me light headed and I can't think properly!' She complained, pouting and completely oblivious to just how much informality she was getting away with - especially considering her companion was supposed to be a God. Something very cold brushed her forehead and ended up cupping her cheek. Sakura flinched but made no other move to remove the offending object.

'Us Gods have rules among us. We're not supposed to interfere in Human affairs unless we are specifically asked to…and even then we have to obtain all our information through natural methods. I didn't tell you before but your case is a special one. I have heard that Uzumaki Naruto is in grave danger and a God is working on his enemies' side. Uzumaki Naruto is known to us Gods as being a key player in the fate of the world and countless prophesies have been told about him. If he is killed then the world will fall into chaos. I feel a certain responsibility for his life and I need you to help me with this if you can. I have already been asked to intervene but please, if you will, share your knowledge with me.'

There was a pause as Sakura tried desperately to grasp the importance of the situation. Blinking open one eye she found that the blinding light was still present.  
'Why are you so bright?' She whispered softly, not being able to help herself.

'Answer mine and I'll answer yours,' was the firm-but-gentle reply. 'Where is Uzumaki Naruto being held?'

Opening both eyes Sakura felt as if these words would be the hardest ones she would ever have to say, such was the earnestness in her God's tone.

'The ANBU base. He's being guarded by the ANBU in their base.'  
There was a long pause after her words.

Then she saw the light disappear and realised (though her eyesight was still impaired) that she was lying on something cold and soft. Taking in a shuddering breath to try and stop her shaking Sakura also realised that she had been sweating - a sure sign that she was overheating. Her throat was sore and her head hurt which helped Sakura to deduce that she was in desperate need of water.

'K-Kami-sama?' Sakura breathed fearfully, needing some reassurance of her well-being.

'Thank-you,' the voice of her God murmured before she felt the hand withdraw from her cheek and a dull pain flare up in the left side of her chest. The pain seemed to restrict her breathing as it hurt to move her torso any amount at all and her throat filled with liquid, causing her to choke. The warm fluid moved up from her throat, more than quenching her thirst, and spilled out of the side of her mouth. Trying to swallow only seemed to make it worse and the flow wouldn't stop - instead it kept on coming as if she was bleeding from the inside and drowning in the blood.

The hazy grey that had replaced the radient white light was now, in turn, replaced with black as her eyes closed with a more certain note of finality than before.

_Naruto-kun…_

_Am I in Heaven now?_

* * *

finito.

Note my dejected tones; no exclamation mark and no trademark smile at the end of this chapter. That's because, as I said after writing this, I never realised how much I liked Sakura until I killed her.  
She had so much potential and I cruelly cut it short.

Oh the tragedy.  
Oh the shame.

So some people hated me, some people liked me. I guess not everyone will be moved by this chapter and I took a risk with the drugs because it wasn't something I would normally write into a fiction story like this but, then again, it's not as if I don't touch on other issues in this fic. Perhaps that's just how I work with my writing.  
I thought I had better warn people at the start anyway without giving away too much lest I spoilt the twist at the end.

What did _you_ think? It's interesting to compare the views on this chapter as they can be so radically different.  
Please review. :)

love  
~WfCP xxx

**_-edited-_**


	13. Hospitalised

Hey!

So time for a happier chapter I think...far from dark, dingy, drug-filled dens and authentic alliteration.  
Oh wait...we're visiting the hospital in the next three thousand or so words! Damn. Well there goes the 'no drugs' bit...

:D  
Yep - so I'm feeling decidedly less depressed after editing this chapter!  
:D

Read and enjoy!

**_-edited-_**

* * *

_Naruto-kun…_

_Am I in Heaven now?_

**

* * *

**

**chapter thirteen:**

**Hospitalised.**

* * *

Ino awoke to the early morning sun-rays shining through the clean, pristine hospital window onto the white sheets of her bed.

_Wow…I've been working here for so long that I've forgotten what it's like to actually be a patient here,_ Ino thought, stretching her legs and arms carefully to see where the damage was. _Oh yeah…last night I tried to escape but there was a bad storm and I got very wet and lost. Well if that's the only reason I'm in here for then there isn't much point in me staying in bed._

Glad that she was now warm and dry, Ino pulled back the covers and slipped her feet over the edge of the bed. Walking over to the window was more difficult than she had thought it would be as her legs were rather stiff and sore from her ordeal. When she reached it however she undid the clasp and opened the glass so that she could feel the fresh, early morning air on her face.

_It's hard to think that less than twenty four hours ago I was a captive,_ Ino thought blissfully. _I guess it's even more hard to believe that Sakura still _is, she added a minute later, a frown now adorning her face. At the time she had thought it to be a good idea to leave her friend because carrying a sleeping Sakura would've only slowed her down - but now she wished she hadn't been so rash and selfish; _What if something's happened to her?_

'I should go and tell Tsunade-sama about them; tell her where they are, where Sakura is and what they're planning. Then again…I don't really want to.' Ino paused, trying to work out why she would rather keep silent. 'I suppose I should have escaped that first night and told her then. Perhaps I feel guilty about that? Or maybe I just don't want anything more to do with the whole thing.'

She sighed, closing the window and turning to face the door. She guessed that they had given her a whole room to herself because she was normally staff - although that didn't seem particularly fair to her; there were probably plenty of people with more serious troubles than a bit of a cold. So thinking Ino sneezed once, twice and then three times. _Yeah…I think I really have got a cold._

Despite this Ino thought that it would still be better to be doing something than sitting in bed and so gingerly peeked out of her room and down the hallway. She was in the west wing by the looks of it and on the second floor, the hallway deserted. Moving out into the corridor and shutting the door behind her Ino took note of her door number (W22) before making her way towards the door at the left end of the white-washed corridor.

_Hmm - there should be a changing room somewhere nearby. Wearing scrubs would be better than this flimsy nightdress-thing they've dressed me in anyway._

Ino didn't see anyone in her search for a changing room (the west wing was not where she normally worked) and she noted that the Hospital was obviously not very busy that day. When she had found the staff's changing room for the west wing though and changed into a pair of loose dark blue scrubs Ino met the first person she had seen since she woke up.

'A-ano Yamanaka-san?' The nervous voice belonged to a new trainee medic who had only been working in the hospital for a week. It was long enough however for Ino to have seen her around and, evidently, for the young girl to have learnt Ino's name. 'A-are you busy?'

Desperately searching her mind for the name of the girl who was addressing her, Ino shook her head rather distractedly.  
'No - why?'

'A-ano…I'm having a bit of trouble with a patient of mine and I thought that you…well I've been searching for someone to help me and you…ano - do you mind?'

Ino hesitated for a moment, not sure whether she should help or not; _I was actually intending to talk to Tsunade-sama about the Akatsuki and what's happened to me over the last two days - but I've just seen how deserted this place is and it's unlikely that this girl will get help from anywhere else. If I'm quick then it shouldn't matter._

'Ah, yes, sure…' Ino petered out here, still not having managed to remember the girl's name. 'Sorry, but what's your name again?'

Bowing her head the girl murmured something that sounded like 'Chikari', a blush covering her whole face.

_This girl is worse than Hinata-chan!_ Ino thought, alarmed.  
'Right, ok Chikari - lead the way and then you can explain your problem-case on the way.'

Chikari did as she was told and Ino followed her back out into the corridor after quickly grabbing a white lab-coat and slipping it on over her scrubs. Pulling level with Chikari Ino began to ask about what, specifically, she needed help with.

Apparently somebody else besides Ino had been taken in, shivering and dripping wet, from outside Konoha's main gates last night. Unlike Ino however this case had been carrying no form of identification and was not from this village. The empty weapons pouch and severe injuries suggested that he was a defeated ninja but no head-band had been found and when he had awoken he had refused to say where he was from.

'…you see we can hardly send him back to where he comes from if he won't stay - and having him, as a stray ninja who refuses to tell us the truth, inside Konoha's walls…well, that's just _dangerous_!' Chikari gushed - apparently not so shy when she got going. 'So I thought 'why don't I see if I can find someone who might be able to get something out of him' - and that's when I found you! After all - you normally work in that sort of field, right, Yamanaka-san?'

Ino nodded absentmindedly, quite bored of the young medic's conversation. She couldn't help thinking about how pointless the rambling dialogue seemed compared to the kinds of conversations she had had over the last two days.  
_Somehow…somehow they were more interesting. They seemed to have hidden meanings everywhere which brought in an element of excitement and fear. I actually had to think about what I said. I had to act and I had to concentrate. With this normal chit-chatting that I used to find so amusing and enthralling I find myself suddenly oh-so-very tired._

'Here - this is his room,' Chikari finally finished, stopping outside one of the rooms at the end of the downstairs hallway. _W12_, Ino noted as she waited for Chikari to enter. When the young medic made no move to open the door though Ino raised an eyebrow questionably. Seeing the confused action Chikari jolted in surprise and immediately moved to hold the door open.

'Oh! Sorry Yamanaka-san - but I thought you'd be more comfortable interrogating him on your own…' she let the sentence peter out, glancing at Ino for assurance that she was correct.

_So she's just basically dumped her patient on me. Does that mean I have to write out the paper work as well?_

Sighing, Ino held out her hand for Chikari's clip-board.  
'Yeah, thanks. I'll take it from here then.'

In a rush Chikari managed to drop her pencil on the floor as she handed Ino the clipboard and immediately dived after it calling 'sorry, sorry, sorry' as she did so. Straightening back up and handing Ino the graphite utensil with an apologetic smile Chikari watched as Ino entered the room and closed the door behind her before running off to attend to a passing medic who needed her assistance carrying a particularly heavy box of new equipment.

_**

* * *

**_

'Yeah, thanks. I'll take it from here then.'

The words, spoken by a voice Deidara found all too familiar, drifted through the partly open door and made their way over to the blonde-haired missing-nin currently lying curled up under the standard, thin white hospital blanket.

_Ino-chan?_ He wondered incredulously, propping himself up onto his elbow before pushing himself into a proper sitting position and arranging the pillows so that they were still behind his head. Someone had bandaged his left bicep where he had been pierced by the kunai and his left cheek had been completely healed. His whole neck had been wrapped up in bandages and it felt as if someone had also done their best to heal the large gash there as well. The burns he had aquired from the explosion however were still painful and his body was still weak from having to drag himself so far in the cold rain and over the rough road surface filled with puddles. He had also acquired a cold from the ordeal and used a tissue from the box thoughtfully provided on the bedside table to blow his nose with before sniffing loudly and feeling sorry for himself.

He had just finished 'scoring a goal' with the tissue as it landed squarely in the middle of the trash can at the other side of the room when Ino walked in. Having already had a warning that she was in the near vicinity by her voice, Deidara wasn't as taken aback by her presence as she was at his.

'D-Deidara-kun,' Ino stuttered after half a minute of them staring at each other. Although not as shocked by her as she was by him Deidara couldn't deny that he was struck by her. This was the first time he had seen her since he had realised how he truly felt about her - and the knowledge that he had been willing to die for her meant a lot to him.

_**

* * *

**_

'What are you _doing_ here?' Ino hissed, sounding faintly angry when she spoke although it was still overruled by the shock that was evident in her tone. 'I-you…it isn't _safe_ for you to be here. If they find out that you're…if they find out who you _are_…!' Ino's voice was kept low so that they were the only two that could hear. 'Do you even know what you're riski-' Ino began again, only to be cut off by Deidara as he found his voice.

'Yeah I do know, hmm.' He hadn't meant to be so cold to her but Deidara found that he didn't want her to realise how he felt about her just then and didn't know how else to react. 'I'm not exactly in good shape right now and the care I received here is better than any I could have gotten anywhere else. So if you're really as worried as you seem, yeah, then you should be _glad_ I'm here.'

Ino frowned, taken aback by the aggressiveness, before depositing her clipboard on the bedside table and walking over to the door to listen for a minute, making sure nobody was outside listening to them. Apparently satisfied Ino walked back over to stand next to the bed and met Deidara's eyes.

'Tsunade-sama will get to hear about you if you stay here much longer - strange cases being a favourite gossip around this place - and when that happens it's bound that they'll find you in the bingo book. I understand that a hospital is the best place to be when you're hurt but now you're in a good enough condition to escape from here it would be stupid for you to stay.'

All the while when she was talking Ino felt something inside of her disagreeing with what she was doing. When she had finished though it had a chance to speak for itself; _what am I doing? I should be telling on him - them - to Tusnade-sama…not telling him to escape! Where do my loyalties lie? Why do I feel as if I'm doing the right thing in helping him? Why couldn't I kill him before, on the first night? Why…?_

'Why are you helping me? Why do you care, hmm?' Deidara voiced, backing up her inner voice. Ino subconsciously took a step back, feeling confused and threatened by the number of questions being thrown at her by both Deidara and herself.

'I-' she started hesitantly but was cut off by a loud knock on the door. Both occupants of the room froze at the sound and, after a moment, Ino turned to face the door. Knowing that she should go to open it Ino started forward with the intention of letting whoever was out there in. Before she could even take one step though Ino was stopped by a shuffling noise behind her and the grabbing of her coat. Looking over her shoulder to see why Deidara was gripping her sleeve so firmly though Ino was met with desperate eyes.

'Don't leave me, yeah - promise me you'll stay.' The voice was as desperate as the eyes and the sincerity of it shocked Ino.

_Why is he saying this? I thought…well, not even a minute ago he was shunning me, asking me why I cared. Now he's begging me to stay. He's begging me to _care_!_

Before Ino could answer though the door creaked open and Deidara quickly released her arm, retreating back to the centre of the bed. Ino looked up to see who had disturbed them to be met with the rather full chest of the Hokage. Raising her eyes further Ino locked eyes with Tsunde's medium-brown orbs and saw the frown hiding there.

'Ino? What are you doing here? I thought you were hospitalised yesterday!'

Biting her lip, Ino shrugged. 'I felt better this morning and thought I'd be better off working than sitting in bed,' she explained, hoping against hope that Tsunade wouldn't ask _why_ she had been hospitalised.

'Hmph,' was the disgruntled reply. 'I'd like a word with you later about what you were doing outside the walls of Konoha in such bad weather without a mission anyway.'

_Kusou._

'Besides that…who is this strange case I've been hearing about then?'

_Double kusou. I _told_ him this would happen. I _warned_ him. Now what's going to happen?_

'Is this your Hokage? Hmm,' Deidara spoke up, addressing his question to Ino. Praying, for some reason, that he wouldn't give away that he knew her Ino nodded.

'Then I'll speak, yeah. I didn't want my details known to too many people.'

Ino stood back so that she could observe both people in the room and saw that Tsunade was apparently satisfied by his compliancy.  
'I've heard that you're a ninja?' Tsunade inquired carefully and Deidara nodded. 'Unfortunately we can't seem to find any identification. Who are you? What village are you from and what is your purpose for coming to Konoha?'

Ino flicked her eyes back to Deidara, curious as to how he would get out of this one. For a moment their eyes met and Ino felt as if he was trying to tell her something.

_What is with that intensity?_

The locking of their eyes broke as Deidara tiredly turned to face Tsunade.  
'I'm Horako Daradei, a runaway nin from the hidden mist village. I entered the fire country in the hope of safety and a new lifestyle but it appears an enemy tracked me even this far which is why I am injured. Having left me for dead it's doubtful that I'll be posing any threats to your village should you let me stay, hmm - and although everything points to me being a rubbish ninja that's only because the assassin sent after me was of a very high skill level.' Here Deidara paused, glancing at Ino once again before turning back to Tsunade. 'So I guess I'd like to ask you if I can stay here for a while - at least until I recover or figure out where I'm going to go next?'

It surprised Ino at how good Deidara was at lying - having never been overly good at it herself - and also what he was asking for. _Does he really mean to stay?_ Ino wondered doubtfully and then questioned whether Tsunade would let him anyhow.

'I'll have to think about that,' Tsunade replied carefully a full minute later and then seemed to lighten up. 'You'll be staying here whilst I think about it however - although I'll have to have someone watching over you until then. You understand, right?'

'Yeah,' Deidara muttered affirmatively, catching Ino's eye again.

'Ino - would you mind fetching that young new medic that joined last week…Chikira is it?'

'Chikaru,' Ino corrected under her breath as she bowed. 'Hai!'

As she left the room Ino felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle as if someone was watching her. _Probably Deidara_, she reasoned with herself, trying to rid herself of an unfamiliar feeling in her gut. Shutting the door behind her Ino suddenly realised that her heart was fluttering at a rate which it shouldn't be.

'Kami-sama…what is it with me today?' Ino muttered quietly, frowning, before walking off down the corridor in search of the young medic who had asked her for help earlier.

* * *

finito! :)

Well a lot cheerior than the prior chapter, ne? ;)

=D by the way - Deidara was trying to telepathically tell Ino he loved her when he was staring at her intently after Tsunade entered. I would normally have left that kind of detail for you to figure out or come to your own different conclusions about but it was something that I had originally written in the chapter; I just edited it out a minute ago because it didn't fit when it was in Ino's POV.

Anyway, what did you think? Did you like it?  
Please review! :D

love  
~WfCP xxx

**_-edited-_**


	14. I love you

Hello all!

Well, despite my depressing certainty that I wouldn't be able to write this chapter during the holidays (this was recently expressed on my profile) due to going away both the first and second week, I've managed to bring my laptop to Yorkshire with me and forsook my work to write this for you! How sweet. (lolz)

Ah well - I wrote half of this today (4th April, Sunday) and half of it last night. It's probably my longest chapter yet. I went to bed at eleven last night with the belief that we would be leaving at nine/ten-ish this morning. Actually, my brother and I were woken up at 1:30 by our dad who thought we'd avoid the snow by leaving early. Then we got caught in a blizzard.(Ahahaha…--)

Anyway, sorry - this isn't supposed to be the story of my life.  
I'll let you get on and read the chapter.

((Oh, btw...I'm not sure how much I've censored swearing up until now (if at all), but this chapter contains a bit of swearing. Anyway - it's rated teen for a reason. I don' t think anything I've written in this fic is unsuitable for teens. I'm a teen anyway (although, to be honest, that's not saying much. Have you seen the amount of '...' teens write today? Seriously...).))

* * *

Shutting the door behind her, Ino suddenly realised that her heart was fluttering at a rate which it shouldn't be.

'Kami-sama…what is it with me today?' Ino muttered quietly with a frown before walking off down the corridor in search of the young medic who had asked her for help earlier.

* * *

The tap squeaked as if rusty as the flow of water ebbed and then finally subsided altogether. His cloak having been discarded and washed once more, Sasori now leant over the recently used sink, his hands resting on the sides. He opened his eyes and saw that although his hands were now clean, there was still some diluted blood in the basin that had been missed by the flow of the water.

_Ah well,_ he thought blankly, _it's not like there's anyone to care._

Normally he would have dealt with the spots of blood himself, being somewhat of a pernickety character at heart - but for once he didn't feel like he had the energy to bother with the small details. He would have put his tiredness to not having gotten much sleep - but this answer just wouldn't satisfy him; _I managed to sleep reasonably well last night. Better than I have been doing for a while at the base anyway._

Gritting his teeth, Sasori knew that staring, frozen, into an almost empty sink was a waste of his valuable time - something else valued highly by him - but, once again, he found that he didn't have the energy to move away.

_Did she poison me? No. I was too careful for that to have happened. She didn__'__t even manage to inflict any damage on me. Why can__'__t I move? I feel as if I__'__m stuck, as if time __has stopped for me._

A drop of water fell from the tap to splash into the basin, suggesting that either the tap was leaking or that Sasori hadn't managed to fully turn the handle. The 'plip' of the drop hitting the plastic sounded amplified and Sasori began to fear that Sakura somehow _had_ managed to poison him.

_Maybe when I was restraining her she managed to inject me without me noticing. No. I__'__m not that dumb - I would have noticed. I__'__m sure I would have. But__…_

This gnawing fear moved Sasori enough to animate himself as he pushed away from the sink, his eyes rapidly moving over his body, searching for any cut or irregularity that might hint at why he was behaving so strangely.

'That's enough,' he hissed suddenly as he began on his third inspection. Then, 'That's _enough_ allready!' He snapped again, louder this time, and clasped his hands together. Staggering backwards away from the sink in which he could still imagine he saw the blood in, Sasori ended up with his back against the far wall, facing the bathroom door. Leaning his head back and still keeping his hands firmly grasped in front of him, Sasori closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing.

_This is stupid,_ he thought numbly. _So stupid. I__'__m getting worked up over nothing. Kusou. I__'__m not poisoned. I__'__m probably not even tired. I__'__m just__…__well, that doesn__'__t matter. I need to contact leader. I need to tell him where the kyuubi brat is, I need to tell him__…_ Here Sasori stopped, suddenly opening his eyes wide and staring up at the dark, shadowed roof.

'Deidara,' he mouthed, suddenly realising why he was so tired.

Deidara was dead.

At first it hadn't sunk in, and perhaps it still hadn't, but with Deidara dead Sasori suddenly felt empty. Not that he had ever felt particularly full but, unlike what he had always thought, Deidara meant more than him than a working partner. He tried to laugh at this, but somehow it just wasn't funny.

_What was he then - a friend?_ He tried to laugh at this, too, but it sounded wrong and empty - and far too short. He remembered his conversation with Ino back when Sakura had first come to check on her;

'_Don__'__t you think that I might need a friend right now?__'_

'_What for?__'_

'_B-because__…__I-my friend just died. Does that really mean nothing to you? What if Deidara died?__'_

'_Deidara is not a friend. I would be annoyed that I had to get a new partner, that is all.__'_

'_But- he treats you with respect, he calls you __'__danna__'__, does that mean nothing to you?__'_

'_That is why it would be an inconvenience to have to find another partner. That is why I stick with him. Getting another partner to acknowledge me as he does__…__it would be tiring and unnecessary.__'_

Internally Sasori grimaced at his words, but his face muscles refused to form the expression.  
_I think that I might need a friend right now. My friend just died.  
_It pained him how his words mirrored Ino's. It pained him how he finally understood. It pained him the most though as he finally answered Ino's question.

'It didn't -_ doesn__'__t_ - mean nothing to me that he treated me with respect. It would be more than an inconvenience to find and train a new partner - it would be impossible. But that's not why I stuck with him. That's not why I hate him for being so weak.'

_It__'__s because I__'__m alone now._

* * *

'So,' Tsunade started bluntly, her chin resting on her overlapped hands and her elbows resting on the table. She was staring straight at Ino, who was sitting uncomfortably in a chair pulled up in front of the desk. 'So,' Tsunade repeated, 'You managed to lose your weapons pouch during the mission you had two days ago and, after a whole day and a half of sitting around at home in fine weather, you decided you'd finally leave to search for it, on your own, just as it began to tip it down with rain?'

With Tsunade's eyebrow raised sceptically at her, Ino felt even more uncomfortable.

'Well, um, yeah. I guess so.'

That had been what she had told Tsunade when interrogated on why she had been outside Konoha the night before and returned dripping wet with a cold.

'And after all that you returned _without_ your weapons pouch?'

Ino bit her lip and nodded. **I wish I was as good a liar as Deidara.**

Tsunade bit on her own lip, mirroring Ino, thoughtfully. Ino sneezed and Tusnade looked back up at her sharply.

''orry,' Ino muttered apologetically and Tsuande sighed, her thoughts suddenly much less deep.

'Well, never mind that - I suppose you were quite off put by Ch- well, by what happened before.'

Ino breathed an inconspicuous sigh of relief.

'Now,' Tsunade started more sternly and Ino froze; **What else?!**

'What are you doing up and about when you've got a cold?'

**Kusou.**

'Ahahahahaha,' Ino laughed nervously at Tsunade's slated eyes and rubbed the back of her neck as Naruto had been so prone to do when he was still around to be 'viewed' by the public. **Naruto****…****Sakura****…****Damn. Why haven****'****t I told her? Why did I lie?**

'Well…?' Tsunade pressed, her face darkening almost comically considering the subject of interrogation. Not wanting to go back on what she had said and admit she was lying, Ino shrugged and suppressed another sneeze.

'Id's really not that bad,' she explained hopefully. Tsunade continued to glare at her and Ino wilted slightly in her seat.

'Tsunade-sama!' A rushed voice called out from behind Ino as she heard the door slam open and, turning to look, Ino saw that Shizune had just run in, carrying her pet pig and waving an envelope on high in her right hand. Jerked out of her 'evil stare' position, Tsunade looked up in surprise and Ino inwardly praised the Gods for Shizune's timely entrance.

'Tsunade-sama, this envelope just came for you from Keikoto - and the messenger said it's urgent!'

**Where (or who) the hell is Keikoto?**

'What's Keikoto?' Tsunade asked for Ino and Shizune looked a bit taken aback. 'And stop waving that letter around and give it here if it's that urgent.'

Shizune immediately handed the white piece of folded paper over to Tsunade, explaining as she did so, 'Keikoto is a medium-sized village in the surrounding fire country - about twelve miles away from here. The messenger they sent has been running almost non-stop to get here. Apparently he left very late last night.'

Tsunade didn't reply, too busy reading the letter, and Ino considered taking her leave. Unfortunately the information was just too exciting to miss, Ino being a great stickler for gossip - and besides, she didn't want to bring any unwanted attention to herself.

Tsunade's face once again became grim as she read the messily scrawled kanji. Ino noticed the hokage's hands begin to tremble as she reached near the bottom of the letter and winced in anticipation as Tsunade dropped the paper and brought her fist down.

There was a deafening thud as Tsunade's fist angrily connected with the wooden table and a long crack appeared down the middle.

'Damn them!' She hissed vehemently, her eyes so slanted it was becoming hard to see if they were open at all. Shizune bent down and carefully picked up the letter from where it had floated to the floor, mindful of how dangerous getting too close to the Hokage was at the moment. She put the pig down onto the floor at the same time ('oink!') and stood back up, waiting patiently.

Suddenly Tsunade had a brainwave and sat back up straight. Pointing dramatically at Shizune she commanded, 'Go and fetch team Kakashi and team Guy.' When Shizune hesitated Tsunade shouted at her, 'Now!' and she left immediately, running comically in her high heels.

Tsunade held her head in her hands and groaned; _**being Hokage is hard work.**_

Ino tried her best to be quiet and hoped that Tsunade wouldn't notice her if she tried to sneak out. Just as she was about to move out of her chair and hurry over to the still-open door though Tsunade removed her hands from her face and looked around her desk as if searching for something. Her eyes lit up at the sight of a small, white coloured sake bottle and she immediately reached for it. Suddenly sensing something though she stopped and looked up. Her eyes met with Ino's and she frowned.

'Ino? What are you still doing here? Go back to work!'

The hokage's face was so dark and the order so briskly snapped that Ino did not hesitate to comply. When she was out into the corridor however with the door firmly closed behind her ('Ino - shut the door behind you!'), Ino sneezed three times and sniffed, reaching into her pocket for a hanker-chief, only to realise that she was still wearing the standard hospital scrubs.

_Great_, Ino thought ironically and gingerly wiped her nose on the white overcoat.** I think I****'****ll go get a new one**_._ As well as being a great gossip-lover, Ino was also a stickler for cleanliness - which was a good trait for a nurse.

Hurrying out of the Hokage's block and into the nearest hospital changing room, Ino stripped off the white overcoat, threw it into the wash basket and claimed a new one from the half-full rack; **it looks like there****'****re more workers here now than this morning - or perhaps the west wing is just normally empty like that.**

Humming softly to herself, Ino began to walk randomly around the hospital as she hadn't been set any particular work. Without realising it, her seemingly aimless walking led to the west wing again, and Ino stopped as she realised that she was only a few doors away from Deidara's room. She remembered what he had told - no, _begged_ of her;

'_Don__'__t leave me, yeah - promise me you__'__ll stay.__'_

She hadn't had time to promise him in the end, but Ino still felt bad about having left him. **Is he alright?** Suddenly full of guilt, Ino knocked on the door and waited for a moment or two.

'Ha-i,' a young female voice called tunefully and Ino opened the door to be met with the closed-eyed, open-mouthed, rather vacant face of Chikaru. It was apparent that the new medic had been about to open the door, because when her hand collided with Ino's chest she jumped in shock and stumbled backwards, her eyes now open.

'Oh! Sorry! I didn't realise you-' Chikaru stopped, confusing even herself with her rambling speech. 'Um…' She muttered with a light frown. Ino sighed.

'Hey, Chikaru - I'll take over here now. Go see if someone else needs help.'

Chikaru obeyed without question - jumping up, bowing and then hurrying out of the room in a daze. Ino watched her go in confusion; **that girl is really weird.**

Then, with another sigh, Ino turned to face the bed, closing the door with a well-placed backwards kick. Deidara, who was sitting upright in the bed and not looking at her, jumped in surprise at the door slamming shut and slowly turned his head to meet her gaze. Seeing that Ino was looking at him though, he turned his back to face straight in front of him, sideways on to her.

Sighing again, Ino hesitated by the door for a moment before walking over to the window and opening it. The warm breeze brushed against her face and carried the sweet smell of Spring's beautiful cherry blossom trees to her. It would have been a lot sweeter if it didn't remind her of Sakura.

A deep frown covering her face, Ino turned to face Deidara. He had been looking at her but, as soon as he saw her turn, he averted his eyes.

'Deidara…' Ino started, her voice holding a note of evident worry. He refused to look at her still. 'Deidara - you know Sasori better than anyone, I think,' here Ino paused as if needing verification. None came though and so she continued regardless, 'Well, I was just wondering…do you think Sakura is all right? Do you think she'll be ok?'

Still Deidara refused to acknowledge her and Ino's frown deepened.

'Hey, Deidara…' She started again, walking over to the stool positioned next to his bed. She assumed that Chikaru had moved it there because it hadn't been positioned thus last time she had been in the room.

'I'm not Deidara.' The reply, the first thing he had said to her since she had entered the room, was blunt. It surprised her. 'I'm Harako Daradei, a runaway nin from the hidden mist village. Yes?'

Suddenly Ino realised what he meant and what he was getting at - but with no-one in the room to overhear them she wasn't sure she understood why he was taking these precautions.

Sitting down on the stool, Ino played with her hands a bit.

'Harako-' She began, but he cut her off before she could go any further.

'You left me. Hm.' It appeared that, even though he was trying to assume a new personality, he couldn't help but leave his trademark 'hm' or 'yeah' in his speech.

'Well I never promised I wouldn't!' Ino exclaimed, still feeling guilty despite her protests of innocence. 'Besides - it's not like you were harmed whilst I was away.'

His mouth a thin line, Deidara turned his head away from her.

'Look - it's not like I had much choice,' Ino reasoned, a little too desperately for her liking.

**Kami-sama - why should I care if he thinks I hate him? That****'****s his fault.** Even so, Ino gingerly reached out a hand and touched Deidara's left shoulder (the nearest one to her). He jerked at her touch and pulled away, shooting her a warning look as he did so. Confused, Ino withdrew her hand.

**What is wrong with him? This is different from when he didn****'****t want me to speak back in the kitchen. Back then his eyes were different, and his voice was different too. Now he looks and sounds normal - but he****'****s really on edge.  
****Kusou. He****'****s really cute as well. Even when he****'****s angry.**

Sighing, Ino put her head on one side and let her eyes wander over the back of Deidara's head.

**Fine then. If he****'****s going to be all stuck about it all then I****'****ll just have to knock some sense into him.  
**Her face now darkened, Ino began to form some rapid hand seals.

'Ninpou, shinten no jutsu,' Ino whispered.

* * *

Without the ability to cry, due to his lack of a nervous system, Sasori's face had remained blank and without tears. Then, after a while of standing still and staring vacantly at the ceiling, he had walked over to the sink and washed away the spot of blood that had once again gained the ability to annoy him. Afterwards, he had grabbed his cloak and left the room.

Now he sat at the kitchen table, absentmindedly following the crack with his eyes as he played idly with his ring. He still didn't quite understand why Deidara's death had shocked him so much. Or why it had hurt him. He hadn't hurt like this for a very long time, and it worried him.

'I'm getting soft.' _But I think I__'__ll probably miss our art arguments the most. They annoyed me at the time, because he was so stubborn on his point of view and wouldn__'__t listen to me__…__but somehow I liked that. It was like a distinct part of his character which I will never be able to relate to.  
__But damn if I__'__m not going soft again. Shut up about him already. He__'__s dead and gone. He__'__s the past. I__'__ve still got the present to worry about and, worse still, the future._

'And Pein is definitely not going to be happy with me.'

Grimacing, Sasori slipped his ring back onto his finger and tapped it three times meditatively. Closing his eyes, he formed the hand sign for 'Katsu' and reached out with his chakra, searching for the Akatsuki leader.

* * *

It was a weird feeling, the feeling of losing control. Deidara didn't feel it terribly often, but this time it felt different. He wasn't angry and he still had a level head - but somehow he felt as if his body was numb and his consciousness seemed incredibly undersized, like it was caged in a box that was far too small for it. _Ngh_, he thought, not terribly coherently, and tried to lift his arm. Instead, his head turned against his will and he found himself staring at the collapsed from of Ino. _Ngh!_ He protested, immediately wanting to help her.

Up until now he had been acting coldly towards her, but only because he didn't want to encourage any silly, frivolous actions on her part that would ruin everything. He really did love her (at least he was pretty sure he did. He had never been in love before though, so he couldn't really say for certain), and he didn't want that love to be underestimated. If he sunk to the level of silly little flirts then he was afraid Ino might mistake his gestures - and although his cold exterior did nothing to encourage love of her own, Deidara didn't really expect Ino to love him back. (_Who the hell would love someone like me, yeah?_)

His body, no longer in his control, seemed to hesitate for a few moments before lifting Ino up and trying to sit her on the stool. When she promptly collapsed again though he moved her onto the bed next to him and then hesitated again. It appeared that whoever was in control of his body (by now he had a fair idea that it was probably Ino - besides, he had heard her call her jutsu before she collapsed) wasn't desperately sure what to do with it.

_Ino?_ He managed to think, hoping that she would be able to hear him like this. Apparently she could because, almost immediately, he heard a foreign-sounding voice in his head reply,

**Yes, **_**Harako-kun**_**?**

Inwardly anime sweat-dropping, Deidara was nevertheless relieved that they could converse this way, even if it wasn't in ideal circumstances.  
_Get the fuck out of my head._

He heard her giggle and felt a little weird because the girly laugh sounded wrong in his mind and, also, he could see her inanimate body propped up against his own.  
**Awww, does Harako-kun not like girls being in charge?** Ino replied in a fake-sad voice. This time Deidara mentally grimaced.

_How the hell am I going to get her out of my mind, yeah?_ He wondered before realising she could hear his thoughts. _Kusou_. He heard her giggle again.

_Well you can hardly be called a girl. No girl would torment an injured patient like this. Hm._ This shut her up for a bit, and Deidara began to wonder if she had gone, but he still couldn't move and so he assumed she was just stumped as to thinking of a good reply.

**Why do you drop the suffixes off of my name?** Was the completely unrelated response a while later. Deidara mentally frowned.

_Why not?_

**Well, I didn****'****t give you permission to.**

_And I suppose I gave you permission to use your clan__'__s jutsu on me, yeah?  
_There was a long pause after this, which Deidara finally broke.  
_Look - I__'__ll tell you properly why I don__'__t use suffixes with you if you get out of my mind. Hm_

**Oh, really? How do I know you****'****re not bluffing?**

_Oh well, you__'__re in charge. Why don__'__t you give yourself a kunai to threaten me with or something, yeah?_

**I don****'****t have a kunai.**

_No, I__'__m afraid I don__'__t either. Oh well, it looks like you__'__re just gonna have to trust me, yeah._

If Deidara could control his body, he would be grinning. As it was, he wasn't. A moment later though and Deidara felt himself being freed, his mind now allowed to spread out and relax. He smiled in relief. _Damn I__'__m not going to let her do that again,_ he promised himself and then blinked, looking down at the now animated girl lying against him on the bed. She, too, blinked and looked up at him.

'Hey Harako-kun,' she murmured, grinning. He frowned at her. _Stop acting so __immaturely, yeah. I want to say something serious._

'So…' Ino started slowly as if she still hadn't quite adjusted to being back in her own body. 'Why d'ya drop the suffixes?' She continued to grin lazily up at him and Deidara continued to frown back.

'Because I love you, yeah,' Deidara muttered a minute later, turning his head away sadly so that he didn't have to see the rejection he was sure would appear on Ino's face. Perhaps if he had said it in a more cheerful voice Ino would have thought he was joking - but the sincerity also made it sound regretful and she felt a slight tinge of pain amongst her shock.

She had been out with boys before when she was younger, but it had always been silly dates and, now she thought about it, really all for the show ('Awww - Juigen's embarrassed. Isn't that SO cute?'). The fact that her first kiss had been with Deidara, even though she had had boyfriends before, showed the immaturity of her previous relationships. Somehow when you were that young you could say, 'I love you' with such ease and so little thought - but Ino got the feeling that this just wasn't the same.

**Back then, ****'****I love you****'**** is said with smiles and somewhat false sincerity. ****'****I****'****m going to marry you****'**** is said in the same tone. It isn****'****t said with a turn of the head, a sombre voice and a down-turned mouth.**

Ino stayed where she was, frozen by the words, as she thought over them in her mind. **From anyone else****'****s mouth I would be able to dismiss those words as unimportant. I might even be able to trick myself into believing they were false. But from _his_ mouth I feel as if I****'****ve been given an opportunity of a life-time****…****and if I don****'****t take it now, I might lose it forever.**

Ino began to feel uncomfortable lying against Deidara when she still hadn't given a reply. **A reply? What do I say? Neither of us is armed. This isn****'****t a test. It****'****s just purely a choice. A choice I must make - and soon. I****'****ve lied to Tsunade for him. I prayed for him when I left. I came here subconsciously - but these things don****'****t amount to much. What really matters is what****'****s in the heart.**

Peering up at Deidara, Ino realised that her heart was thumping. Despite this, she still managed to feel comfortable against him, his left arm warm against her side. Knowing now for certain what her answer would be, Ino sneaked her left arm up the thin quilt and Deidara's standard-male-pyjama covered chest to rest over his heart. There was a slight movement out of the corner of Ino's eyes and she saw Deidara bring his right hand up to clasp hers. At first she thought it was sweet, but then he took her hand away from his chest and rested it on the quilt, his hand remaining on top of it. With his head still turned away from her, Deidara muttered tonelessly,

'Please don't torment me, yeah. You asked and so I told you. That's all.'

It took a while for Ino to realise that he thought she was kidding around with him. Her hand twitched under his firm hold. **I****'****m not joking though. How can I make him understand?**

Pushing down on the mattress with her right hand, Ino pushed herself upright and away from Deidara's bandaged left arm. He turned his head slightly, but not enough to actually look at her. Annoyed that he thought she was joking, Ino breathed deeply to calm herself before firmly placing her right hand on top of his. This time he looked at her, as she had anticipated he would.

Staring earnestly into the one eye she could see, Ino said as sincerely as she could,

'I'm not joking, so please believe me.'

When Deidara only blinked in reply Ino looked away, unsure as to whether she should continue or not. But then she remembered what she had decided. She _loved_ him, she really did. And so she would tell him so and they would run away. Even if it meant leaving all her friends and her village behind, she would. For him. So why was it so hard to complete that first little part - to jump that first hurdle?

Looking back into his eye, Ino finished softly,

'I love you too.'

If she had expected a lovey-dovey reply to this, Ino would've found herself very disappointed. As it was, she was just hoping he'd believe her. Even in this case she found herself disappointed though as he snorted at her reply, turning his head away once more.

'I'm telling the truth!' Ino snapped indignantly, and Deidara turned back to her with a raised eyebrow.

'You don't even know me, hm.'

Ino glared back.  
'Same here - but that didn't stop you from saying it. I believed _you_, so why can't y-'

'Look,' Deidara snapped, cutting her off mid-word. 'Who could love someone like me, yeah? I'm an S-class criminal - I've killed countless people…and you're a medic-nin!'

Ino's stare softened slightly at that.  
'Well, that's just testament to 'opposites attract', right?' She smiled at him, and he looked back curiously.

'I've never heard that before, hm.'

Ino shrugged. 'It's not important.'

Deidara seemed more relaxed now, and Ino began to hope that he had finally decided to believe her. Then she made a mistake.

'Hey,' she spoke out, reaching her hand forward towards his face, 'I never did see…' Ino trailed off as her wrist was grabbed tightly, just as her finger had brushed against his bang. He was looking at her coldly.

'And you never won.'

'If you really loved me, you wouldn't keep secrets,' she retorted sullenly and he bit his lip.

'Don't. Please. You'll regret it.' This time his eye was imploring, but he let go of her hand anyway. Ino was surprised because she had expected him to say something like 'you're spoilt', but she realised that it just showed how much he loved her.

**I really am spoilt. If he doesn****'****t want me to see, then I shouldn****'****t press him. **Hesitating, Ino finally sighed and withdrew her hand. She saw Deidara's eye widen at this gesture. Then he looked down at the sheets.

'So you do love me.' It sounded as if it pained him to say it. Ino didn't reply but watched instead as Deidara lifted his right hand to his bang and brushed it out of the way. This time he stayed facing her, his one good eye closed.

Ino took the sight in as blankly as she could, not wanting to upset Deidara should she hate what she saw.

In all actuality, it wasn't that bad. A shock at first, admittedly - but not desperately ugly. She had expected him to be scarred or missing an eye but, instead, a large metal camera lens covered his left eye and a large portion of the left side of his face. It was…practical. Ino couldn't help giggling at his solemn attitude.

'Is this all?' She asked with another giggle, reaching out her right hand to gently trace the metal eye enhancement. Deidara flinched as she touched the cold metal, but soon relaxed enough to take a picture of her relieved, smiling face. At first the whirring noise of the camera adjusting it's lens shocked Ino, and she pulled back slightly, but she soon realised what it was and laughed.

'I don't see why you're so shy of it,' Ino told him, watching to see his reaction. 'You can capture beautiful sunsets and have unique moments last forever!'

For some reason, this didn't go down too well.

'What would be the point in that? Things aren't supposed to last forever. Art is a bang, yeah.' He muttered disjointedly. Ino put her head on one side questionably, but he didn't expand on his points.  
'And that's not all. Hm.'

**It****'****s as if he doesn****'****t want me to love him.**

Deidara tried to lift his left arm, but it was too badly injured for him to try and move it, so he gave up on that idea.

'Let go of my hand,' he ordered, although his tone was not sharp. Ino complied, removing her right hand. Now his right hand rested on top of her left and, slowly - as if that hand, too, was hard to move, he turned it over. Now that Ino was looking, she could see that there was a long, thin slit in the palm of his hand. She remembered seeing a slit like that on one of his hands when she had first met him - but it had only been a brief glimpse, and from further away than she was now. At first she thought he was injured and wanted her to heal it - but then the slit widened to allow a moist tongue to poke out and 'taste the air'.

Taken by surprise, Ino jumped - but then she gingerly reached forward and hovered her hand above his, unsure as to what she should do. Before she could come up with something to say though, the tongue in his hand reached up and licked her palm, the wet, tickling sensation causing her to giggle again.

As she looked up to meet Deidara's amused gaze, she suddenly heard loud, clicking footsteps nearing the door to 'their' room. Deidara had heard them too because his face suddenly became serious and his eyes hard. Bringing his right hand (now devoid of tongue) up to his lips, he signalled for her to be quiet and then waved her off of the bed. Ino didn't need to be told and was already sitting on the stool by the time he dropped his hand to his side. Whoever it was didn't bother to knock, and Ino watched nervously as the handle slowly began to turn.

**Kusou. Please have the wrong room. Please go away. Please leave us alone.**

* * *

'K, how was it?

I thought it dragged on too long and proof-reading was boring. My longest chapter so far though I think, and not that bad for thirteen pages worth.

Ah, also...when I asked for suggestions on a new Akatsuki pairing in my last chapter I meant an Akatsuki pair like Hidan and Kakuzu or Itachi and Kisame. I'll take into consideration your comments of what other romance pairings you'd like though, and it's not too late to get you two cents in, so...

...Please review with your comments! :D

Much love,

-WfCP

(Woohoo for Crack Pairings)


	15. Missing

Hey all!

For all you who don't read my profile; my year 10 exams are coming up in three weeks and although they aren't desperately inmportant, some of them _do_ count towards my GCSEs. Thus, although I'm prone to wing things and probably won't revise for anything other than Science and maths ( the ones that count), I'm still going to have to spend some time revising.  
Anyway, the point of this is that this chapter will be the last until after my exams (three weeks time). Luckily I have half-term after that and so can write the next chapter then.

Also, for those of you who _do_ read my profile (well good on you for a start, ;) ), I opted for the shorter version of the chapter and will put the remaining 'stuff' in chapter 16.

Anyhoo...this chapter is mainly DeiIno.

Enjoy!

* * *

As she looked up to meet Deidara's amused gaze, she suddenly heard loud, clicking footsteps nearing the door to 'their' room. Deidara had heard them too because his face became serious, his eyes hard. Bringing his right hand (now devoid of tongue) up to his lips, he signalled for her to be quiet and then waved her off of the bed. Ino didn't need to be told and was already sitting on the stool by the time he dropped his hand to his side. Whoever it was didn't bother to knock, and Ino watched nervously as the handle slowly began to turn.

****

Kusou. Please have the wrong room. Please go away. Leave us alone.

* * *

First through the door was a pig, closely followed by the short, brown-haired framed face of Tsunade's assistant, Shizune. Ino frowned because, it being someone above her in rank, she couldn't just tell her to go away.

'Ah, Ino!' Shizune called somewhat triumphantly and Ino's heart sank even more; it sounded as if she had been looking for her. 'I was just looking for you,' Shizune confirmed and Ino forced herself to look mildly surprised. 'Tsunade-sama wants to see you in her office again -now- about a new mission.'

Suddenly feeling all of her hopes of being able to spend some more time with Deidara disappear, Ino stood and bowed, her mouth a thin line.  
'Hai.'

'Oh!' Shizune suddenly exclaimed as if remembering something. Ino stared at the door post above her superior's head, trying not to show her disappointment at being taken away. 'I'll have to find a new guard to take your place…' Shizune petered off thoughtfully and Ino remained staring dutifully at the door post.

**What has this got to do with me?**

'Um, wait here a minute would you, Ino?' Shizune requested before running off unsteadily in her high heels. It was only then that Ino realised just how alike Shizune's and the pig's running was. It was actually quite funny.

'Ino.' The voice was deadpanned and when Ino turned to look at Deidara he was staring out of the window. 'You're right about them finding out about me being Akatsuki (I can tell) and it probably won't be long. If you go to Tsunade now then this might be our last goodbye, yeah.'

Surprised both by the content of the speech and the way it was delivered (emotionlessly), Ino stared at the blonde haired nin for a few seconds. Then her face, which had relaxed somewhat, suddenly became determined.  
'Then I won't go,' was her simply-put solution. 'We can run away. Can you walk?'

Deidara, who was now staring at her in amazed disbelief, grinned. 'Yeah, with some help. I think.' He had actually thought of this himself, but hadn't really expected her to have agreed to the plan – it would likely mean her having to leave her village for good.

As soon as he had finished speaking Ino had positioned his left arm around her neck and now helped him out of the bed, her right arm cradling his back supportively. Making it to the window wasn't too hard and, once Ino had jumped outside, she helped Deidara out of the window too and onto the gravel 'pavement' outside.

They were at the back of the hospital now and behind them was a small woodland patch. Hobbling over to the shaded area, Deidara walked roughly five trees in before leaning his back against one of the smaller trunks. Ino stood beside him, glancing worriedly back at the hospital and scared of discovery because, seriously, how long did it take to find a replacement guard?

'We're gonna have to run,' Deidara spoke up tiredly from where he was resting, looking up at Ino to see her reaction. She looked surprised at first, but then nodded understandingly.

'Can you…?' Ino wondered aloud, leaving it hanging.

'Yeah,' was the gruff reply. 'It's just my arms that are bad.'

Pushing himself off of the tree, Deidara glanced back at the hospital to see that Shizune's head was poking out of the window. Ino had also seen it and now they retreated quietly, further into the trees. When they were a safe distance away and could no longer see their window or, indeed, most of the hospital, they turned and began to run.

Deidara was still clad in the standard hospital pyjamas and the wind blowing past them made him shiver. It wasn't a particularly cold day either, but the running was jolting his arms and making them ache as well as having the hairs standing up on end due the speed he was trying to maintain. Even so, he was used to worse than this and so it didn't bother him too much to continue, Ino running level with him and matching his pace.

When they reached the walls (surprisingly, it didn't take too long) Deidara glanced to the side to see Ino hesitate slightly. To jump up out of Konoha like a convict rather than use the specified gates would be a hard thing for her to do, being a rather devout Konoha shinobi - and if anybody recognised her with him of her own accord and he was found out to be Akatsuki then it was as good as slashing her own head-band in front of the Hokage.

Her face grim, Ino applied an extra spurt of chakra to her feet and jumped up off of the ground and onto the top of the walls. Forcing herself to continue, even though she wanted to take just one look back, Ino pushed off again after Deidara into the thick forest surrounding Konohagakure. The guards began to shout and point behind her but she kept on going, her eyes downcast and her fingers crossed that they hadn't noticed it was her.

**They will have though. It's less likely that they'll see Deidara - but once the report comes in from the hospital that we're missing then it's going to be blindingly obvious. They'll have to research it and then they'll**** realise**** who Deidara is. Damn. I guess this is good bye to Konoha. Good bye to my home.**

Ino didn't realise that Deidara had stopped until she was nearly on top of him and then her eyes widened and she shoved her hands out to cushion the collision. Luckily Deidara, who had seen her coming, managed to dodge out of the way and Ino landed on the branch he had just been standing on. Panting a little because they had covered quite a distance from Konoha, Ino glanced up at Deidara quizzically, knowing that they were being pursued by the guards right now.

'You ok? Hm.' Deidara asked, his breathing slightly more shallow than normal. Ino frowned and then nodded.

'Yeah…'

'I'm going to carry you - I can run faster and they'll have the ANBU after us soon, yeah,' Deidara cut across her, his suggestion spoken in a way that didn't invite argumentation.

'But…' Ino ventured anyway, glancing at Deidara's arms.

'Get on my back.'

Knowing that they didn't have much time and that Deidara was completely serious, Ino did as he said, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his chest. With his arms fairly useless to help her she had to hold on extra tightly as Deidara nodded, satisfied, and then took off. 'Hm.'

* * *

The atmosphere was rather still for the Hokage's office - especially when it contained seven ninjas. Tsunade's impatient fingers tapped incessantly on her desk as the other six ninjas stood expectantly in front of her; they were silent for the lack of anything to say.

The two oldest of the seven ninja were sworn enemies although they competed in a way common of friends. One of them wore a face mask covering his nose and mouth, his Konohagakure headband slanted to cover his left eye which contained a special gift from his long-dead friend - the sharingan. This man was called Kakashi, his spiky silver hair another recognisable feature of his.

Kakash's rival looked very different to him. Whereas Kakashi wore more traditional Konohagakure ninja clothes (the standard ninja green vest and short black trousers) his rival, Gai-sensei, wore a full-body, green spandex suit. His headband was worn around his waist and his deep black hair framed his face in a bowl cut.

'Lee - stand up straight!' Said eyesore reprimanded one of the younger ninjas who was standing to his left. Lee, as Gai-sensei had called him, immediately stood up as straight as possible and, staring ahead, inquired seriously,

'This straight, sensei?'

'Ahh! That's it, Lee - you have great posture for your age! Now try standing on one leg.'

Gai sensei, with his flashy smile and over enthusiastic nature, seemed to have passed his bad fashion sense on to his pupil because Lee also wore a green spandex suit and had a short bowl cut to his black hair. Unlike his sensei however Lee wore bandages on his arms and hands although they both now wore the traditional, green, Konohagakure ninja vest over the top half of their spandex.

The other two ninjas standing on Gai's left were clad mainly in white and in this way the team seemed split into two halves - white and green. The male clad in white had long brown hair, white-onyx eyes and was from the legendary Hyuuga clan - a clan that possessed the special eye bloodline limit of Byakugan; this allowed them to see far distances and the many pressure points each person possessed.

'Here we go again, Neji,' The girl standing on the Hyuuga's left whispered quietly to him, glancing over at the other team member of their age as he stood in what looked like a weird ballet pose, now trying to touch the ceiling as well. Neji nodded in reply, refusing to look at the embarrassing display and trying to pretend he had nothing to do with the people on his right.

The girl who had whispered to him was called Tenten and was Konohagakure's most-skilled, youngest weapons mistress. She was seventeen whereas Neji was eighteen, and although many people thought they were dating and there was definitely an attraction there, neither had yet made the first move. Her hair, which was done up in its usual two buns on either side of her head, was a slightly lighter shade than Neji's and her white top hugged her figure neatly, contrasting with the red/pink coloured, loose-fitting bottoms she wore. Tenten peered past the whole of her team to observe the other team standing the other side of her sensei.

Team Kakashi had changed a lot over time, more than any of the other teams had done, and Tenten sometimes thought that that was because they had been given the most interesting people from their group; then again maybe they were just unlucky, because Neji was just as special with his Byakugan as Sasuke had been with his sharingan - or that was her logic anyway. Now the other team consisted of only _two_ people (two less than it should have been).

Surprised because Tenten was used to seeing Team Kakashi with _three_ members (one less than there should be), she couldn't help but wonder where they had managed to lose Sakura.

_**Perhaps she's ill?**_ Tenten theorised, glancing at Neji to see if he had noticed Sakura's absence yet. He didn't give any sign to show that he had and so Tenten shrugged it off, looking back over at Team Kakashi to examine the other member.

Sai was just as he normally was, fairly unemotional and wearing that horrible black tank top that made Tenten think he was a cross dresser who had forgotten to buy and stuff a bra. His short katana was kept strapped to his back, the handle poking over his shoulder so that it was easy to reach. Tenten, who was an expert at anything to do with weapons, had often wanted to fight Sai to see how good he was at using his knife-sword. Then again, she supposed she would have been more drawn to fighting him had his weapon been slightly bigger and more impressive; _**and his personality (and sense of**__** humour**__**) less inept and perverted**_, she added mentally.

Tsunade had also noticed Sakura's absence but had called Kakashi forward at the start to inquire as to where her student was. _'Isn't she your responsibility then?'_ Kakashi had told her lazily, although Tsunade could tell that he was now slightly on edge. Shizune had been sent off to find Sakura and, in case she couldn't be found, Ino. Now they were waiting for Shizune's return.

Tsunade watched Lee's efforts to reach the ceiling with some amusement because the boy always took his sensei's suggestions so seriously. Then again, she supposed that they were _meant_ seriously, knowing Gai. This amusement was marred by the content of the note and her face returned to a troubled frown.

The tapping of Tsunade's fingers against the desk stilled suddenly as the door bust open and a panting Shizune entered. She might have thought that she was just hurrying because an order to hurry from the Hokage was enough to make anyone obey with their full ability - but Tsunade had known her assistant long enough to know that something was really wrong.

Standing up abruptly, her chair falling over behind her, Tsunade immediately hurried over to Shizune, afraid that she had perhaps been hurt because her breathing was so ragged. Seeing that Tsunade was approaching however, Shizune immediately stood up straight, showing that she was in no way injured. Tsunade stopped in her tracks, not needing to offer medical help now.

'Tsunade-sama!' Shizune gasped out, her eyes turning to look at the Hokage as she spoke although she stayed facing straight in front of her. 'Ino and the Harako Daradei, the mystery nin we picked up last night, have disappeared!'

Shocked momentarily, Tsunade nevertheless soon returned to her role as leader.  
'How long ago?' She snapped out, returning to her desk to pick up some paper and a pen.

'I saw them ten minutes ago, so it can't be any more than that,' Shizune answered dutifully, relaxing her stance slightly and strutting over to see what her master was writing.

'Did they leave together? Tell us all you know.' It appeared that Tsunade was writing a quick summary of what had happened in case she had to send search letters out to other towns in the surrounding area.

'Well…' Shizune began.

* * *

Panting, Deidara, with Ino still on his back, came to a stop at the top of a fairly tall hill. More than seven hours of running had passed since they'd left Konohagakure, chased by members of ANBU who had seen their escape. It was now darker than when they had left (sometime around mid-day), although not what either of them would have described as night yet.

They hadn't stopped to clear their tracks away but, having run along a river for a while, Deidara was hoping that they'd done enough to stall their pursuers for at least a short while.

Alone he reckoned that he would have been able to outrun them - but with Ino on his back the ANBU had been slowly but surely catching up to them. Now Deidara regretted abandoning his clay pouches back along the road leading to Konohagakure the night before. _Then again_, he reasoned sensibly with himself, _it's unlikely I would have survived the night if they'd found out my identity - and I definitely wouldn't have been able to escape. My unique weapon would have probably triggered somebody's memory back to when I was fighting that one-tailed jinchuuriiki, yeah._ _Kusou._

Seven hours of almost non-stop running had taken its toll on Deidara though and he was now forced to take a break. He carefully helped Ino back onto her own feet before sitting down thankfully on the sunny grass and then beckoning Ino to sit beside him.  
'Can you heal my arms, yeah? I don't think they're that bad – it's just 'cause your Hokage didn't trust me. Hm.'

Realising that she may as well make use of herself and her excess energy during this break, Ino obliged Deidara, sitting down next to him and summoning the green tinted healing chakra to her hands after removing his bandages. As Deidara had said, it must have been because Tsunade didn't trust him 'fully-working' that his wounds had been left largely unhealed because they didn't take too long to heal to a level that was satisfactory for the time being; perhaps she would heal them more later when she had more chakra.

Ino stood back up after the silent healing as Deidara laid back, head resting on hands, to stare languidly up at the clear blue sky. Ino stayed standing for a while to look out at the beautiful scenery. Looking back the way they had come she could see the other hills they had travelled over, marginally smaller than the one they were currently on, and, on the horizon, a large forest that curved around to their right. Running between the hills and disappearing into the forest Ino could see a sparkling fresh-water stream. This water way that had proved so useful to their journey looked like it was split off from a larger river that traced its origins to the mountain range a long way off to Ino's left. Turning so that her back was facing towards Konohagakure and the tracks that they had left behind, Ino peered ahead to see what they would have to travel through next.

The group of hills they had been travelling over for more than an hour continued on for a long way, each one varying in its size. The further in front the mounts were, it seemed to Ino, the more of a greyish tint they took on until they looked almost identical to a smaller version of the mountain range which was now on Ino's right. Beyond this far-stretching line of low-rise hills the horizon became hazy and Ino couldn't work out quite what there was.

Glancing back the way they had come again Ino could still not see any trace of their pursuers and so joined Deidara on the grass, kneeling next to her tired companion (**should I call him more than that?**) with an affectionate smile. Deidara, whose eye was now closed, missed the sweet look he was being given.

Used to being given attention, Ino frowned slightly and idly picked at some nearby grass, gathering it up into her lap. Once a small pile had accumulated there Ino suddenly had a thought and, grinning playfully to herself, she scooped up the grass-pile and threw it up into the air above Deidara so that it fell down upon him like confetti.

Shocked, one blue eye snapped open and the blonde-haired missing nin immediately jumped up into a crouching stance, his arms rising to cover his face protectively as he tried to determine what had just 'attacked' him. Seeing Ino laughing at him and the grass that coated his upper body and, no doubt, face and hair, Deidara relaxed slightly, although his one good eye narrowed at having been tricked so obviously and having fallen for it.

'Tch, what did you do that for, yeah?' He asked indignantly, turning to face Ino with his hands inconspicuously behind his back, gathering a grass heap of his own.

'Hmm,' Ino replied light heartedly. 'I'm not really sure - you looked much cuter when you were sleepi-_hey_!'

Trying to dodge out of the way of the small, green oncoming missiles, Ino nevertheless got covered in grass and was infinitely grateful that she didn't suffer from hay fever. It was apparent that Deidara didn't either though since he also seemed unaffected by the trivial fight that commenced afterwards.

Adrenaline waking Deidara up a bit more as he got into the game, deciding that he was going to win no matter what, he found himself genuinely laughing for what felt like the first time in ages; it had been so long since he had played a game with so little consequences attached to it, Sasori not being the most playful companion ever.

Ino had decided to hide behind a small, natural rise in the hill whilst Deidara stayed and accumulated as big a pile of grass as he could carry as quickly as possible. Sneaking up on her now, Deidara jumped around the side of the rise and threw the grass at where he assumed Ino would be sitting, only to find that she wasn't there.

For a moment he was just confused, but then the worry kicked in and Deidara felt the merriment and enjoyment of the game drain from him in an instant, his mouth now set in a straight line as he looked around him frantically. Having turned a whole circle and ended up facing back at where he'd thought Ino was hiding and towards the mountain range in the distance, Deidara began to wonder if perhaps the ANBU troops had managed to find them after all and taken Ino back to Konoha - or taken her to use as bait for him, like a hostage.

These dark thoughts running through his head, Deidara crouched down by the freshly picked grass cuttings he had thrown to examine the ground for signs of a struggle. _She could of gone willingly though. Hm._ This thought saddened him. Before he could find any markings that suggested Ino had been taken by force though or, indeed, dwell on the depressing thought of her having left him of her own free will, he heard a noise behind him that suggested someone was trying to sneak up unnoticed.

Alert now more than ever, Deidara turned, still crouched low, to be met with a green mist heading his way. Instinctively, although he wasn't quite sure why, he jumped towards the attack, flying through the grass-filled air with his eyes shut and arms stretched out in front of him to hit quite forcibly into an unsuspecting person, who promptly fell over at the impact.

Being jumped upon wasn't what Ino had been expecting when she'd thrown the pile of grass she'd been 'saving up' at her play-mate. She had expected perhaps a cry of defeat (she'd seen Deidara throw his pile at thin air a few seconds before) or maybe some genial laughter, but she definitely hadn't anticipated the wind being knocked out of her as she was pushed to the floor, landing heavily with Deidara's weight being added to hers a moment later.

Deidara realised too late that he had miscalculated the force of his jump as the remaining momentum carried them rolling down the hill, the world a blur to start with due to the speed they were travelling at. Despite being used to flying at speeds way faster than this and performing air-acrobats as practice for particularly challenging fights, Deidara still didn't find the rolling sensation particularly enjoyable. Ino guessed this from the way his fingers were digging into her shoulders but didn't complain because, equally as uncomfortable (although for a different reason - she was scared that Deidara had acted thus because they were being attacked), she found herself gripping the front of his black silk, standard hospital pyjama top as tightly as she could without ripping the strong material.

Slowing down and finally stopping at the bottom of the mount, the two ninjas lay still for a while, trying to re-orientate themselves and their surroundings because they were both mildly dizzy. After a while of lying there however Ino, whose back was against the ground, hands still holding onto Deidara's top (although not as tightly), ventured to speak.

'Did you see them? Are we in danger here?' She whispered in hushed tones, not wanting to alert whoever Deidara had reacted to so strongly. There was a pause in which Deidara stared at her weirdly before it seemed to click.

'Ah,' he laughed slightly in embarrassment, rolling off of her and sitting up to look back up at the hill. 'No, yeah,' he answered properly and shot her an apologetic glance. When she didn't reply in sympathy though Deidara frowned.

'You just took me by surprise and all, yeah. I thought you were an enemy,' he explained, watching her to see if she understood. When she did though she just rolled her eyes and muttered dryly,

'Damn, Deidara! You're _far_ too paranoi-'

'I was _really worried_ about you!' Deidara cut across her sharply, his face now shaded and his expression, for a moment, dark. As he'd said it he'd leant forward and grabbed Ino's arm to show his sincerity but Ino, suddenly scared of her over-protective companion, shrunk away from him slightly - regarding his dark face with some fear. Seeing her reaction, Deidara's facial expression softened and even looked sad; _why is she scared of me? I don't want her to be _scared_ of me!_ He let go of her arm.

'Y-you needn't have been worried,' Ino told him a little shakily, resisting the urge to pull her arm away from him because she could see that her shifting of position had already hurt him more than she had intended to. 'I just heard you coming and so snuck around the side of the small rise - that's all.'

'Hm,' Deidara muttered, refusing to look at her because he was afraid that she would still be off-put by his earlier loss of control.

Wanting to change the subject quickly because she could see that Deidara was still, quite obviously, sullen, Ino glanced around her as if searching for a new topic to talk about.  
'Deidara…' She started and waited for him to look at her. He didn't and so she continued regardless, 'How did you get those injuries anyway?'

He shrugged. 'I fell out with Sasori-no-danna, yeah.'  
It was a lie, but after her annoyance with him being so protective, Deidara didn't think it would have gone down too well to tell her that he'd risked his life to stop one of his colleagues from eating her. His tone was flat though so as to not invite any more questions on the subject.

With another topic killed Ino frowned thoughtfully, searching for something else to start a conversation on. Looking back to Deidara she planted a wide smile on her lips and suggested enthusiastically,

'Hey - I'll race you back to the top!'

Jumping up, Ino ran half-way up the hill before turning to see that Deidara hadn't moved from his spot on the floor. Momentarily perturbed, Ino felt even the fake enthusiasm leave her. Realising that Deidara was looking at her however, she took a deep breath and tried again, forcing her lips into a triumphant grin.

'I'm winning!' She called, taunting him as she continued up the hill backwards. Not looking behind her though Ino couldn't see that she'd reached the top and, since the slope leveled off quite sharply, she lost her balance and toppled backwards out of Deidara's view.

'Waa-!' Ino cried involuntarily and then felt slightly stupid as her landing was uneventful and definitely not worth crying out about; it had just been rather sudden and unexpected. Turning onto her front though Ino crawled away from the edge of the slope and over to the small rise that she had hidden behind during their grass fight earlier. Standing up, she walked to the top of the small mound of earth and twirled around, taking in the view again before stopping and peering back to where she thought Konohagakure was.

**I can't go back there now, can I? It didn't look as if I was being forced to leave anyway, which is enough to tell them that I left willingly with an S-class missing nin and, oh hell - what's the point in thinking about this? Why should I want to go back there anyway? Besides my friends that is…and, well, my family doesn't exist anymore - but I lived a good life there. I have all my memories there - and they're good memories. What's to say this life is going to be any better? Then again, what's to say that it's going to be any worse…?**

So caught up in her thoughts was she that Ino didn't notice Deidara appear over the top of the hill and only noticed him once he was standing behind her on the rise, his breath warm on her neck.

'Deidara…' Ino started, her voice troubled, not altogether sure what she was going to ask him, but most likely something about what she had been thinking about just before he had appeared.

'Shh, yeah. Let's get down from here - just in case they're still looking for us. Standing up here is just as bad as lighting a fire. Hm.'

Ino was glad to hear that the sullenness of before had left his voice and now he just sounded practical, which was a lot better in her opinion.

Once they'd descended back down onto the top of the hill where Deidara had stopped to rest before the grass fight they sat down again in silence, Deidara lying down again with his eye closed and Ino kneeling beside him, exactly as they had been before. This time though Ino didn't murder more than one of the thin green plants, and it took a lot longer for her to disturb Deidara.

'Deidara…' she began again after a long while. Cracking his eye open, Deidara spared her a lazy glance.

'Yeah?'

'…what's it like being a missing-nin?'

This time his answer was not so ready, but it did get him to sit up so that they were both kneeling. Even so, Deidara didn't look at her for a while. Instead he stared off into the distance, past the rise and over at the mountain range.

'I, um, don't really know what you mean, yeah,' he answered after a long time. When he realised that Ino was obviously unsatisfied with this reply he continued with a glance at her and a careless shrug, 'As in, hmm, Akatsuki? Or just generally, yeah?'

Ino didn't really know what she had meant by it, because she didn't know what was going to happen to _her_ from now on. Seeing as Deidara had been a missing nin for a long time, it had seemed sensible to ask him in preparation for becoming one herself.

'I don't know,' she muttered quietly, staring at the ground and idly playing with a grass strand as she did so. 'What's going to happen to us from now on?'

Perhaps she was regretting being so impulsive and leaving without a second thought as to what would happen once they'd got this far. Deidara shrugged in reply.

'Get as far away from the fire country and its allies as possible I guess. Then we should earn some money somehow, or just steal - it doesn't bother me, yeah.'

Deidara's casual attitude and the situation _did_ bother Ino though, and her frown deepened, the grass blade now twisted out of shape and abandoned.  
'It bothers _me_ though,' she confessed, glancing up at Deidara's face to see that he was watching her, his gaze soft and somehow pleasant. Averting her eyes back down to the floor Ino sighed and, reaching out her right hand, began to absentmindedly trace the wrinkles and folds in his pyjama bottoms.

'You see, I'm _scared_,' Ino muttered, a little awkward in her speech because she couldn't remember ever divulging that information before except, perhaps, to her parents - and they were dead now. Her hand glided silently upwards, still tracing the lines that had formed in the black silk. She didn't feel Deidara's quadriceps tense under her touch as her fingers continued to move smoothly higher.

'I'm beginning to think I was too rash. Deidara, do you think-'

That was it. Ino may not have realised the effect she had been having on Deidara, but now he cut her off with his mouth on hers, bending to reach her. One of his hands moved to brush the thick bang of blonde hair out of her face and the other to the ground, helping to steady himself as he kissed her.

Ino's head spun for a moment, all other thoughts and emotions forgotten as the hand positioned on his thigh stilled its provocative movements. It had been too long, she decided, since she had felt Deidara's warm, familiar caress on her lips and now she kissed him back, her eyes closing instinctively as she slid her right hand up onto his chest.

Her left hand joined her right as Ino deepened the kiss, pushing back against Deidara and silently asking for entrance. This time there was no fight for control - instead it was shared, neither wanting to hurt the other. Somehow, even though Ino thought she should have been used to his touch by now, it had not lost its novelty and, although it seemed gentler than she remembered it, it was also deeper and more heart-felt.

Before when he had kissed her she had either been too shocked to respond or too eager to compete. This was different though, and what perhaps alerted Ino to this the most was that, when she began losing control, she didn't care. It wasn't a failure when he lowered her to the floor and moved his hand into her hair or when his other hand shamelessly began to run up and down her well shaped body. It wasn't even a failure when she moaned at his touch, shifting her right hand up into his hair and fisting it there.

It was only when the kiss broke apart that Ino remembered something that forced her to come back to reality.

'Deidara…' She started, only just beginning to feel the slight breeze that had built up. Although they didn't know it yet they were nearing the wind country, where Sunagakure was based, and at night the winds could get very cold. Ignoring her, Deidara moved as if to kiss her again but Ino quickly moved her head to the side so that his lips ended up brushing against her cheek instead.

'Deidara,' Ino started again, refusing to look at him because she wanted to get out what was troubling her before she lost herself to him completely. 'W-we shouldn't. Not here. What about the ANBU? They're-'

'Unimportant, yeah,' Deidara cut across her quickly and Ino was quiet, taking in what he had said. 'They won't find us here,' he reassured her quickly. 'I think they've given up following us for the moment anyway - but even if they do continue, it's unlikely that they'll chose _this_ hill to travel across so…' here he paused as to put more emphasis on the next few words. '…we're safe. Hm.'

Ino felt reassured at this and even though the wind was cold, the sky was still clear and the sun was still visible, its warm rays managing to stroke Ino's skin pleasantly as a cricket in the grass a way away began to chirp. At ease now, Ino realised that she was more at home here, in Deidara's arms, than she had ever been in Konoha.

Turning her head back so that their eyes were less than two inches apart, Ino brushed her lips against Deidara's and smiled lovingly at him. It sounded cliché, but Ino found that she couldn't help saying it;

'I love you, Dei-kun.'

Perhaps it sounded weird because it wasn't the first time she had said it, and yet it was the first time it was taken seriously. Maybe it just sounded strange because she had given him a nickname. Asides from a slight raise of the eyebrow though this change of name was pushed aside.

Obviously believing in the saying 'actions speak louder than words' Deidara replied by kissing her again, and this time Ino let herself fully lose control, sinking into the caress gratefully.

Deidara's left hand remained in her hair as his right traced the outline of her well-endowed body again, deepening the kiss and lowering himself onto her fully as Ino's left hand moved to wrap around his back. Although neither of them had seen any flowers on their hill this sweet smell was carried to them on the wind and pervaded their senses, making the experience even more 'magical' and counteracting the faintly chemical smell of the scrubs and overcoat Ino was wearing.

Even so, it seemed that the chemical smell wasn't completely wiped out because, not too long afterwards, Deidara broke off the kiss and tugged at the white overcoat gently, hinting at something more than their current activities.

Ino complied, and then began to undo the buttons on Deidara's shirt. Her fingers were incapable of completing the task though because her mind was too overcome and in the end Deidara just ripped it off, allowing Ino to remove her dark blue top before pressing her back down to the ground and trailing warm kisses down her neck and collarbone.

The slow-moving breeze that drifted over her bare skin now seemed colder than before, but Ino was pretty sure that at least half of the reason for that was because she was a lot warmer - something which was almost nothing to do with the sun's warm rays; the golden orb was beginning to fall too low in the sky to reach the two ninjas now anyway.

Realising that this was the first time Ino had seen Deidara top-half naked, she made the most of it by running her hands over the well toned muscles, her mind no longer troubled by ANBU, or Konohagakure, or what was going to happen next, because they didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that Deidara was with her and kissing her and loving her like she was with and kissing and loving _him_ - and that, for the time being, Ino could believe with all of her heart that it would never stop.

* * *

:D  
Finished then, and I finally got some 'proper' DeiIno stuff in.  
Hmm. As mentioned before, I'm not going to write until after my exams now, so I'll set a dead line of five weeks for the next chapter, although I think it'll be more like a month (I'll probably write/get it up over half term).

As for the akatsuki pair that is going to come in next chapter (origionally going to appear in this one, but it was getting too long), I think I already know who I'm writing in - but you can still 'vote' if you want (I'll take your ideas into consideration).

Humm, apart from that there isn't much I can say.  
Oh well - if you liked then please review. If you didn't like then flame, or PM me or something with your problem.

Byes for a while and  
Much love,  
WfCP xx


	16. Brittle love shatters easily

Heya all!

Is it half-term for you guys as well?  
If so, I hope you enjoy the rest of it!  
If not, then...well, enjoy yourselves anyway! ;D

Humm, I originally intended to post this chapter at the end of the week so that it would give me more time to write the next one (and I also didn't think that I'd write this one in time! Ahaha...)...  
...but as soon as I sat down to write I couldn't stop and so I produced this in one sitting! (well, that was without the editing...).  
Anyway, I felt a bit mean withholding it since I had already written it, so here it is!

The new akatsuki pair (the non-romantic type!!) arrives on the scene in this one, so I hope you enjoy. Anyway, I'll shut up now. ; )

* * *

All that mattered was that Deidara was with her and kissing her and loving her like she was with and kissing and loving _him_ - and that, for the time being, Ino could believe with all of her heart that it would never stop.

* * *

'Oi, Sasori-san.'

The voice was unmistakable, but at least it answered the question Sasori had been wondering about for the last hour. It also surprised him - not who the owner was, but how quickly they had gotten there. When the Akatsuki leader had told him that he would send the nearest pair as backup, he hadn't expected them to be _that_ near.

'Kisame-san,' Sasori dead-panned in reply, rising and turning to face him - more to make sure that his quieter companion was present as well than to be polite. As he had expected, Kisame's work partner, Uchiha Itachi, was also standing inside the room. It was apparent that they had entered through the window, and Sasori received a curt nod of the head from the Uchiha in greeting; the puppet master dutifully returned it.

An awkward silence would probably have ensued if Kisame had not moved, wandering around the room as if he owned the place and looking into the kitchen cupboards. It wasn't often that the different pairs interacted with each other, and even less often that they were called to work with each other; and so the atmosphere was somewhat tense. Itachi sat down, leaning his elbows on the table and lightly resting his chin on his clasped hands.

'Deidara is deceased then.'

Sasori jolted at the soft spoken statement, and then mentally swore at his lack of control. Trying to remain calm he shrugged nonchalantly, glancing at the seated man who had spoken. As always, Itachi's face was impassive, but his eyes were now trained on Sasori unnervingly.

_This is stupid - why am I getting so worked up? Why is this terrible tension affecting me? I__'__m just as powerful as Itachi-san, so he shouldn__'__t be intimidating me like this. Kusou!_

Sitting (with his legs crossed), because it was easier to look more relaxed this way, Sasori tried to ignore Itachi's stare. He noticed that Kisame looked desperately interested in the surface of the kitchen counter - and then he realised that he was most likely just pretending he was. Sasori didn't blame him.

'We were informed of your mission and it's status by Pein-sama, but I don't think we were told quite everything.'

Sasori didn't answer straight away as it was more of a statement than a question, and he didn't much feel like verifying the Uchiha's intuitive feelings anyway. As the silence drew on though it became increasingly obvious that Kisame was acting, as he had frozen in place - waiting for a development in the conversation - as he pretended to stare in at the contents of the cool fridge. Eventually, Sasori decided to break the silence.

'If Pein-sama didn't think it necessary for you to know, then I don't see why I-'

'Kisame, stop playing around and come here,' Itachi cut across Sasori's cold reply with equal frostiness and Kisame started, shutting the fridge door with a loud bang before coming to stand beside his partner.

'If you're trying to intimidat-' Sasori started dangerously, only to be cut across by Itachi once again with,  
'Oh, no - I don't know what gave you that impression, Sasori-san. After all, we're not enemies.' Itachi's smile was as fake as his words were but, with politics in play and a structure of two against one should a physical fight develop, Sasori felt compelled to force a smile in return.

'Ah, so - about that information you wanted then…what is it you wish to know?'

* * *

After having listened to all that Shizune had to say on the matter, Tsunade's face was even more grim than before. The other ninja's in the room, who had also heard the news, also looked more serious.

'Is this our mission now then, Tsunade-sama?' Gai-sensei cut into the Hokage's depressed thoughts, causing the blonde women to start and glance up at the two teams standing in a line in front of her.

Having managed to right her chair and sit on it, Tsunade subconsciously reached for her sake bottle, only to find that it wasn't there.  
'Ah!' Apparently the thought of having run out of Sake was more shocking and despair-worthy to Tsunade than the news of losing Ino.

'Yosh! We will gladly rescue Ino for you, Tsunade-sama!' Lee gushed enthusiastically.

Coming back to reality though, the 'young' Hokage shook her head.  
'No Gai, Lee. There was something else I wanted you to do. I think perhaps I'll get the ANBU to attend to this matter. You, meanwhi-'

'Tsunade-sama!' Since the door was already open, the two masked ANBU members who entered had no need to knock - and so didn't. Everyone turned to look at them. One of the ANBU members wore a fox mask, whilst the other wore what looked like a cat mask. The one with the fox mask spoke up first, standing up straight to face the Hokage (who was now standing again).

'Just now two ninja jumped over the wall out of Konoha and into the surrounding forest. Several ANBU members are in pursuit of them, but-'  
The masked ANBU member stopped his report as Tsunade held up a hand to silence him.

'…but one of them was Yamanaka Ino, right?'

Apparently surprised, it took a few seconds before both ANBU members nodded firmly. Tsunade sighed heavily. 'Then the other one was Harako Daradei, a stray ninja we picked up last nigh-'

'No.' This voice was different, and the two masked ANBU members parted to allow the newcomer to enter. 'That wasn't Haraki Darado, or whatever he called himself. The person who Ino was with was an Akatsuki member - Iwagakure no Deidara.' The person imparting this information was also an ANBU member, but had deemed himself worthy enough to remove his mask.

'Yamato-san!' Kakashi voiced, surprised to see the ANBU member who had stepped in for him whilst he was ill and was used to help keep Naruto's Kyuubi power under control due to his specially modified genes.  
Yamato nodded his greeting distractedly.

'An…Akatsuki member?' Tsunade voiced in disbelief, but her facial expression changed as Yamato began to explain.

'Yes…with them being such a threat to Naruto I felt compelled to learn all that I could about their group from the information we have. Iwagakure no Deidara was believed to have been killed a few years bac-'

'When he nearly blew up the whole of Sunagakure, right?' Tsunade finished for him and Yamato nodded grimly.

'Ah.' Tsunade's realisation was not triumphant, but rather degrading instead. 'I thought I recognised him from somewhere but…I didn't realise…' Here she petered out, staring at the doorframe deep in thought. Nobody spoke for what was probably about half a minute, although it felt much longer to everyone in the room.

'Then, if ANBU is already pursuing them, I don't suppose there is anything else we can do for the moment.' Tsunade decided with a certain finality. 'Please return to your guard posts and be sure to keep me informed on the situation.'

With that said the two masked ANBU members bowed and quickly left, their mission accomplished for now. Yamato also bowed, but instead of returning to his wall post he waited outside, to the left of the doorway so that he could not be seen. He closed the door behind him.

There was a dull silence as Tsunade tried to pick up all of the pieces and put them together in her mind. This task only partly complete, the Hokage gave up and returned her attention to the fidgety group of ninja's in front of her.

'Sorry for all of this,' she apologised, and then wondered why she had bothered; it wasn't her fault that everything was going wrong, was it? 'But I think it would be best if I gave you your original mission and let the ANBU handle this.' So speaking, Tsunade produced the note she had been given earlier and glanced over the content again as if to remind her of what it said.

'This note…it was given to us by a messenger from Keikoto - a medium-sized village in the surrounding fire country - late this morning. It says that yesterday two suspicious looking men were seen wearing black cloaks with red cloud patterns. Because they were wearing straw hats with white strips hanging down to cover their faces, it would have been impossible to identify them using the bingo book had they not been easily recognisable in other ways. The note says that one of them had a large sword wrapped in bandages on his back and blue skin. Unfortunately, this matches the description of one of the known Akatsuki members perfectly.' Tsunade paused.

'Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi.' This time it was Kakashi who spoke, but Tsunade did not contradict him.

'You've fought them before haven't you, Kakashi?'

The masked sensei nodded in reply to the Hokage's question. Although he was normally laid back in his manner, he was now very serious; last time he had fought with the duo he had been knocked out for a very long time. That had been when Yamato had taken over from him until he recovered.

'Well, as expected of a village without any shinobi, they let them pass without giving them any trouble, but thought they had better report it. So your mission is to travel out towards where they were last spotted and intercept them. As always don't attack if you're one on one, but with six skilled ninja I don't think it should be a problem to capture them. Right?'

'Hai!' Everyone chorused, but then Sai spoke up with a question.

'So we are supposed to capture them? Not kill them?'

Tsunade nodded firmly; her decision had been made about that a long time ago. 'I think it would be best that way, because if we can get any information out of them about the organisation then it would be very useful. Besides, with Akatsuki being so active right now I have to assume that they're planning something. That's why I'm sending so many of you for just two of them - but if it comes to killing them or letting them get away…then you have my permission to finish them off.'

Sai bowed.

'Talking of a plan - are you suggesting that they're planning to attack Konohagakure?' This time it was Neji who spoke, which was unusual.  
Tsunade sighed.  
'It's a possibility I've thought of. But besides that, do you know the way to Keiko?'

Gai sensei raised a hand immediately. 'I've passed through it a couple of times, Tsunade-sama!'

'Right, then we'll be on our way,' Kakashi voiced, and received agreement from the other members of the scouting team. Tsunade watched them leave with a feeling of dread. She really hated the Akatsuki, because missions involving them were the only ones which she seriously worried for such competent ninja's lives.

_**Jiraiya**__**…**_

'Kakashi…!' The last one to leave, Kakashi hesitated in the doorway before lazily glancing over his shoulder.

'Hm?'

Feeling slightly stupid for calling out so suddenly for something so trivial, Tsunade finished nonetheless, 'Whatever happens - whether it means letting them get away or not - promise me that you won't let them kill another of our ninja.'

For a moment Kakashi didn't reply - but then he nodded, his one visible eye holding something like understanding. As he left Tsunade bit her lip, wondering if he had realised that she had been referring specifically to Jiraiya when she had spoken.

* * *

The sunset was really beautiful, even more calming than the cool breeze had been that morning when she had woken up in Konohagakure hospital. That seemed like such a long time ago now Ino thought about it. But thinking of the hospital made her think of all that she had left behind. It also forced her to remember Sakura. She had left Sakura in the care of a trained criminal who would have no qualms with killing her. How could she have done that to her friend? How could she have been so selfish?

'What are you thinking about, hm?' The gentle voice beside her took Ino far away from her thoughts of her old village and back to the hill Deidara and she were currently sitting on. It was easy to see now why she had chosen to be so selfish because, although it was somewhat painful to say so, she would have done it again - leaving Sakura and her village behind - and more in order to be here with the man who currently had his left arm around her waist.

'Mmm, nothing much,' Ino replied with a shy grin, glancing up at the man who she had shared her first kiss with and now given her virginity to. 'You?'

It really had been perfect, although Ino didn't have anything but movies to compare it to. Somehow though, she had been scared that once it was over Deidara would leave her… that he had only escaped with her so that he could take advantage of her - but sitting here with him, watching the sun set, was desperately reassuring to her. Ino closed her eyes with a small smile, remembering the events that had just passed, and subconsciously snuggled closer to Deidara, rubbing her head against his chest appreciatively.

'The sun is really pretty right now, isn't it, yeah?'

Ino nodded her agreement. She could still remember the way his body had felt against hers, and she intended to remember that feeling forever. Was it weird, she wondered, for her not to be able to stop thinking about it, even after it had finished? Was Deidara thinking the same kind of things?

Ino peered up at her lover (**well, I think that****'****s an appropriate name for him now**) to see that he was staring thoughtfully at the warm, red rays that the sun was spreading over the sky.

'If only this moment could last forever,' Ino voiced quietly, returning her gaze back to the softly glowing sun. 'It's so beautiful.'

'The most beautiful things are fleeting,' Deidara disagreed with her, but his voice was not harsh and Ino did not try to contradict him; she didn't want to spoil their peace and tranquillity. Even so, she couldn't help wondering if his philosophy that fleeting things were the most beautiful extended to all parts of life. If so, did that mean that their relationship would only work for a short while? That if it lasted forever then it would no longer be beautiful and thus become worthless? This worried her, but she did not want to bring it up in case Dediara had not thought of it; she didn't want to be the one to shatter their new love.

'Where do you think the ninjas that were following us went? Hm.'

Ino blinked in surprise at the mention of the ANBU 'troops' that had been following them; she had completely forgotten them in the tangle of emotions she had felt inside and now, along with her fear of their relationship falling apart, she felt even more on edge. Then again, hadn't Deidara said that they'd probably lost the ANBU squad a while back?

'I thought you said that we'd lost them…' Ino muttered with a frown, pushing herself up a bit so that she wasn't leaning against Deidara so heavily.

'Ahahaha, yeah - of course I did. Sorry for asking. If they haven't come by now then we've definitely lost them. Hm.' Even though Deidara's words were reassuring, his tone was slightly forced and Ino's frown didn't leave her troubled face.

Turning to stare back the way they had come, Ino wished that Deidara hadn't brought up the topic of the ANBU. It had been so peaceful watching the sunset together, but now the mood had been shattered.

'Well I can't see them…' Ino added, peering over the hills and towards the trees.

'Yeah, yeah - me neither. Sorry for mentioning it, hm.'

Glancing back at Deidara Ino sighed and removed his arm from around her waist.

'Well never mind - the mood's been spoilt now anyway. Hm. Let's find somewhere to sleep for the night because the wind is getting really cold now, yeah. Besides, the sun's practically already set.'

Despite her regret at having to leave the romantic setting behind, Ino realised that there really were other, more practical, needs that had to be sorted out then. Trying to stand however she realised that she still felt rather numb and so winced, shooting out a hand to grab onto the now-clothed, still-seated-Deidara's shoulder. He had told her that it was only natural to feel numb like this after her first time and so Ino had accepted it without question; she had even refrained from asking how he knew in case he began to talk about other girls he had slept with - for she was sure this was the case.

**Oh dear, now I'm being even more negative. What happened to that lovely romantic atmosphere?**

'Hey, I'll carry you if you want,' Deidara offered good naturedly as he stood up, glancing over at the woods as he did so.

'Ah, no thanks - I'll be fine on my own!' Ino decided, but then she saw the intent expression on her partner's face. Following his eye with her own she saw that he was watching the part of the woods that was near the river they had travelled through. 'Deidara-kun…?'

'Hm? Oh, ah - come on then; let's go, yeah.'

With him suddenly so distracted, Ino couldn't help but ask what the matter was as he took her hand and led her forward. 'Did you see something back there?'

Deidara refused to look her in the eyes though as he shook his head. 'It was nothing, don't worry. Hm.' Again, although his words were supposed to be reassuring, his tone was less reliable and so Ino continued to glance over her shoulder as they walked.

'Where are we going?' She wondered after returning her gaze back to the front. So far they had managed to descend the hill they had just been sitting on and turn to the right, weaving their way between various hills without ascending any of them.

'Um, I thought we should head for the mountain range - because that should be more sheltered from the wind. Is that okay, yeah?'  
Ino didn't reply because she could still tell that Deidara was distracted.

'Actually, it might be an idea if we hurry up - it's quite a long way after all, yeah. Are you sure you don't want me to carr-'

Disregarding her fears of offending Deidara and releasing some of her pent up tension, Ino pulled her hand away from his, her face grim.  
'Look - why are you lying to me? You saw something back there, didn't you?'

Deidara glanced back the way they had come with a frown, which quickly turned into a grimace when he saw Ino's face.  
'I thought I saw someone, but it was probably just the wind. I didn't want to worry you, yeah, so I thought you'd prefer it if I didn't say anything.'

Ino was surprised at his reply - did he really think that she would have preferred not knowing? If so, then he obviously didn't know her at all!  
'Idiot!' She snapped without thinking, 'Of course I'd want to know something like that! You obviously don't know me at all!'

'I know you enough,' Deidara replied angrily, glancing over her shoulder again. 'Now let's get moving before the ANBU - well, whoever I saw - catches up to us, yeah.'

'What do you mean you know me 'enough'?' Ino snapped, dancing out of the way of his outstretched hand. 'And I thought you said that the ANBU had lost us and that it was probably just the wind? What are you talking abou-_Ah! _Let me go, Deidara! Put…me…_down_!'

Caught up in her momentary frustration and anger, Ino summoned chakra to her fist and aimed to punch Deidara on the chin. Seeing the move just in time to avoid most of the damage, Deidara still managed to receive enough of the hit to let go of the blonde kunoichi, who then fell to the floor. Pushing herself up, Ino glared at Deidara, although she wasn't even all that sure anymore exactly _why_ she was angry with him, before taking a few steps backwards, away from him.

**Is he going to come after me if I run?**

Massaging his chin with one hand, Deidara remained where he was as Ino slowly backed away. 'If you run, then you're more likely to get caught,' he warned her, still thinking of her safety it seemed, even though she had just punched him. Ino, not even sure why she was angry with him now anyway, felt somewhat touched by this statement. The feeling ceased however as Deidara continued.  
'Then again, that'll be your own fault - and I really don't care, yeah. After all, who would care about such a whimsical, easily swayed girl like you? Hm.'

With that, Deidara turned his back on Ino and began to walk away, towards the mountain range he had been leading her towards before their argument. His voice, when he had spoken, had been meant to sound disinterested, but he couldn't stop a bitter twist slipping in, despite his best efforts. Shocked by his apparently indifferent nature considering what they had been doing less than an hour ago, Ino watched him go with her mouth open. Then her senses partly returned to her and her face coloured angrily.

'W-w-w-_what_ did you call me?!' She yelled after him, her fists clenched. 'You ungrateful _bastard_! Don't you care even the slightest bit about what we just did? D-don't you…' Ino petered out because Deidara had stopped and turned to look at her. The scornful expression on his face was so plain, even at the distance they were separated by, that it was unmistakable to Ino.

'Yeah that was fun, wasn't it?' He said, his voice carried to her by the wind (which also helped to hide the way his voice cracked as he spoke). Ino's face, unbeknown to her, held a hint of something akin to horror. 'But I'm a man, you idiot. Did you really think that I loved you?'

With that Deidara turned and ran, his face bowed as if ashamed or upset - but that detail didn't register with Ino. The words did though and they hurt, more than she thought they would have - and now the wind felt even colder against her bare arms, her white hospital overalls flapping frantically in the breeze.

**W-what just happened? I think...I think our 'love' just grew brittle and broke. It shattered, didn't it? Into a million little pieces. What is this I'm feeling?!**

Sinking to her knees in shock, Ino stared at the place where he had disappeared behind one of the many mounds, a tear escaping and running down her face, closely followed by a stream of the warm, salty droplets. She felt even more numb than before - and so maybe that's why she didn't try to fight back, or even summon the energy to turn around, when she heard a rough voice speak up from behind her.

'Hm? What was fun, little woman? What did he do to you?'

* * *

Eheheheh, finished.  
So I tried to take everyone's suggestions into account on the akatsuki duo - and I think the overall majority was for Itachi to come in. Since quite a lot of people wanted some ItaIno side pairing I might slip some in in later chapters (because I think some competition for InoDei would be good...). Anyway, I hope those who didn't want Itachi and Kisame weren't too disappointed! Ahahaha (pleaseing everyone is impossible...).

Eh well, because I've got French oral exams (less than a week!) and my core Science GCSE exam (two/three weeks time) coming up, I might not be able to write that much...so I'm tempted to set the dead line for another month away...then again, it's likely that I'll get it out before then anyway, so two/three weeks from now is more likely.

Hmm, please tell me - were you losing interest in this story because of the longer delay for this chapter?  
It's what I was afraid of, and so I decided to post it before the end of the week in case everyone forgot what this story was.

Ah well, ahahaha, I'm probably just paranoid.  
Please review, and have a good few weeks until I post up the next chapter!

Much love,  
WfCP  
xxx


	17. Second Caller

Hey Everyone!

It's been a while, but my exams are finally over! Yay!  
Well here's the next chapter. It's my seconed longest one yet because, after writing all the tactics bits, I realised that it would read a lot better if I broke it up - thus I decided to put the akatsuki parts in.

Ah well, I hope you enjoy: here it is...

* * *

Sinking to her knees in shock, Ino stared at the place where he had disappeared behind one of the many mounds, a tear escaping and running down her face, closely followed by a stream of the warm, salty droplets. She felt even more numb than before, and maybe that's why she didn't try to fight back, or even summon the energy to turn around, when she heard a voice behind her.

'Hm? What was fun, little woman? What did he do to you?'

* * *

Yamato waited a few minutes before knocking professionally on the door to the Hokage's office. He had heard the exchange between Kakashi and Tsunade a little while back and, like Kakashi, had come to the conclusion that the Hokage had been talking indirectly about Jiraiya when she had asked the masked nin to protect the lives of the other Konoha shinobi travelling with him. Thus, having quietly explained to Kakashi that he still had some business with the Hokage, Yamato had waited a few minutes to allow Tsunade some time for reminiscing.

'Ah? Come in!' Tsunade's voice floated through the doorway and Yamato grimaced because he could hear the slight tinge of pain still evident in the Hokage's tones. Jiraiya's death had hurt her a lot, although she refused to talk about it to anyone and everyone avoided talking about it to her. Thus, as normal, Yamato tried to ignore his leader's red eyes.

'Eh? Yamato-san? What do you want?'

Shizune was standing behind Tsunade, to her left, holding Tonton the pig, and Yamato wondered whether she, too, pretended to not notice her mistress' tears.

'Well?'

Yamato blinked in surprise at the harsh tone to see that Tsunade's eyes were narrowed. Of course Tsunade was renown for her extraordinary temper anyway - but having been interrupted whilst crying had probably made it just that bit worst.

'Ah, Tsunade-sama,' Yamato replied respectfully, bowing in her presence as a peace offering of sorts. Kakashi had shared with him an experience of his just after news of Jiraiya's death had been delivered. He had tried to comfort her then and it had not gone well; in fact, it had been rather messy if Yamato remembered correctly. Now though, he tried to forget about that complication and concentrate on his report.

_**I suppose it would help though**_, he mused,_** if my news was of the happy variety.**_

'I have something to tell you about Yamanaka Ino's departure from the village,' Yamato related blandly, staring out of the window behind Tsunade. 'I didn't want to tell you before because I thought it would be best to hide it from the others - or to let you decide whether to tell them or not, but…' Here he paused, frowning at what was to follow. Tsunade, her misery mainly forgotten in light of some new information, encouraged him with an impatient,

'Yes?'

Yamato clenched his hands into fists before finishing his report.

'I believe Yamanaka Ino left the village willingly.'

Of course it wasn't certain; she hadn't stopped to gloat at the village, or said outright 'I'm leaving willingly' - but there had been clues enough for Yamato to quite comfortably make this assumption. Tsunade however, who hadn't been there to witness the event and so had had to rely on the information she had been given in the reports, was shocked; for it hadn't occurred to her that one of her kunoichi would willingly leave with an Akatsuki member.

'W-w-_what_ did you say?!' There was a crash as Tsunade's chair fell over behind her and Yamato winced as Tonton squealed and began to wriggle violently in Shizune's arms. 'Th-that's _rubbish_! None of my Kunoichi would ever leave _willingly_ with an Akatsuki member! What are you talking about, Yamato? What evidence do you have for this?'

By this time the Hokage had managed to stride forwards, towards Yamato, and grab him by the front of his ANBU uniform. Yamato cowered under the fierce gaze, but refused to back down on his assumption.

'Sh-she wasn't being forced. He went ahead of her.'

Tsunade dropped him at this news and, although the fierceness was still there, the Hokage seemed less threatening somehow.  
'This-this better not be a joke, Yamato. Because if it i-'

'I'm not joking.' His voice was so flat that Tsunade retreated, picking up her chair and sitting back down with her head in her hands.

'She…she couldn't have been threatened I suppose…?'

'It's a possibility. She stopped for a split second before leaving the village, as if she didn't want to go.'

Tsunade gave a small sigh of relief before looking up at Yamato with hope shining in her eyes.  
'Then that must be it! She must have been threatened! I see no other explanation for it.' So adamant was she that Yamato almost didn't have the heart to continue his response.

'However she didn't look back as you would expect her to if she was being forced, she didn't try to make eye contact with any of the ANBU squad stationed on the wall and she sped up after her hesitation.' Although he didn't want to crush his leader's hopes, Yamato thought it would be worse if he held back information. Tsunade's eyes dulled.

'Then…I guess she might really hav-' Tsunade was cut off by the sound of knocking on her door. Not really surprised anymore at the amount of visitors she seemed to be getting that day, Tsunade called them in and watched as the two ANBU who had reported to her earlier entered the room, another, younger member following close behind them. This new member wore a dog mask and appeared to be female. The one wearing the fox mask spoke up first.

'We have news from the squad that was sent in pursuit of Akatsuki no Deidara and Yamanaka Ino. It appears that they have lost them.'

Tsunade's brow twitched in annoyance.  
'What did you say? How could you have lost them? You're ANBU members for goodness sake! Who was in the squad?'

This time, the dog-mask ANBU member stepped forward.  
'I was, Tsunade-sama, and I am desperately sorry. We tried our best to keep track of them but they used a nearby river to their advantage and have covered their tracks well. The rest of the squad are still searching but I was sent back to relay the news to you, Tsunade-sama. Hopefully they will find a lead soon and the pursuit may continue.'

With a low bow, the female ANBU member stepped back in line with the other two elite shinobi, keeping a close eye on the Hokage's frowning face for a sign of more severe anger. None came though.

'You're Inuzuka Hana, aren't you?' Tsunade directed her question to the dog-mask member who had just spoken, and was rewarded with a curt nod of the head. 'Then even your _tracking_ dogs couldn't follow their scent?'

Behind her mask Hana grimaced at the harsh tones.  
'As I said, they used a nearby river to their advantage, so…' Hana bit her lip. 'Water washed the scent away, but if the search continues then they should be able to find where they exited the river and continue from there…'

'So the river gained them some time, but hasn't secured their escape? Is that what you're saying?'

Hana nodded gratefully, glad that Tsunade could see the positive points of this situation. Even so, Tsunade didn't seem too pleased.  
'I suppose it might give them a false sense of security. Then they should be easier to find and bring back to the village.' The Hokage paused for a moment. 'Well, I don't suppose there's anything more we can do for the moment. Hana, return to your squad and request that they double their efforts. If it takes too long then they may leave our borders.'

Inuzuka Hana bowed after receiving her orders and left at a jog. The other ANBU members left a moment later as they received orders of their own:  
'You two can send a letter to Sunagakure, our allies, telling them to be on the watch for persons of similar description to Yamanaka Ino and Akatsuki no Deidara.'

With the door shut behind them Tsunade collapsed onto her desk, realisation of the lack of sake hitting her once more.

'Shizune, go get some more sake. I really need some right now,' Tsunade ordered flatly and listened to the click of her assistant's high heeled shoes on the floor as she hurried to carry out her order. This day was, she decided, turning out to be one of the worst days of her life.

* * *

'…'

As there had been silence for quite a while now, Sasori was unsure as to why he had opened his mouth to speak - but he closed it soon afterwards, deterred by the lack of interest from his fellow Akatsuki member.

Itachi still sat opposite from him at the table, sitting up straight as if it was the most comfortable position for him and crossing his arms. He looked as if he was thinking, which meant that for now he was harmless enough, but Sasori still found his companion unnerving.

Their interrogation of him had gone smoothly as far as he was concerned…but only really benefited his opposition. There had been no real fights (physical or verbal) after the initial subtle threatening, but Sasori had felt increasingly weak and inferior as the questioning continued. It wasn't often that he was made to feel that way (in fact, very rarely) and he had already decided long ago that he didn't like it. Now he faced the Uchiha opposite him with an even more deep-rooted dislike than before; previously, Sasori had merely disliked Itachi for his somewhat arrogant nature.

'Errr?'

The gruffer tones of Itachi's work partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, sounded behind him and Sasori turned to see the shark-man hovering in the doorway. After their interrogation Kisame had decided to leave the room and explore the premises more so that in the unlikely event of an attack he would know the best tactics to use. At least that had been his excuse but, having encountered the Samehada-wielding missing nin before, Sasori thought it much more likely that he had just gotten bored of the Kitchen and it's awkward atmosphere.

'Yes, Kisame?' Itachi prompted a moment later and Sasori had to stop himself from starting in surprise at the Uchiha's voice; due to his quietness and the recent interruption, Sasori had almost forgotten that the sharingan user was even present.

'Ah…did you know there was a dead girl in the next room, Sasori-san?'

Obviously Kisame had expected a surprised response from the puppet master because his grin quickly faded when Sasori merely stared at him blankly and nodded once.

'You should get Zets-' Itachi began to suggest calmly, but he was cut off by Sasori with a sharp,

'No.'

This time the pause was much longer, and Sasori was forced to feel somewhat humiliated all over again; it wasn't often that he lost his cool like that, and he really didn't want to explain _why_ he didn't want Zetsu to come.

Kisame, whose face actually portrayed his feelings very well if you knew how to interpret it, raised an eyebrow - a move Sasori assumed he had learnt from his annoying Uchiha companion. Even so Sasori didn't respond, preferring to go over his social options at this point of time in his mind first.

_Because there is a two against one set up at the minute, just like before, I can't just refuse to tell them outright - because they can simply ask more threateningly and I will be forced to tell them if I have any value for my life. So I could tell them the truth now, or I could lie._

Sighing, more at the though of having to create a convincing lie than because of the atmosphere in the room, Sasori turned back around so that he was facing Itachi and directed his gaze out of the window. It was mid afternoon by now if his silent guess was correct.

'Well, I mean, Zetsu came yesterday to clear up some mess I…Deidara and I made bu-' Sasori stopped there because he was interrupted by a loud knocking noise. As neither of his companions was making the noise Sasori froze, and then slowly redirected his gaze to the floor, where the sound was coming from.

_Someone is at the door. Who? We should just ignore it but whoever it is couldn't have come at a better time. If we ignore it then I'll have to continue my explanation, and I can't think of anything more to say._

'Someone's at the door,' Sasori stated blankly, changing the subject gratefully. Behind him he heard Kisame growl and, turning to look at the shark-faced nin, he saw the blue hand tightly gripping the handle of Samehada.

'I'll go answe-'

'No, Kisame.' Itachi sounded almost tired, which Sasori found strange because it made him sound weaker then before. Despite this Kisame listened to his partner and stayed put, even though Sasori could see that he was itching for a good fight.

The knocking briefly stopped before starting up again a few seconds later. Sasori sighed internally; _When is this person going to give up? Who is it? Are they actually going to go away if we just stay quiet?_

The knocking stopped again half a minute later and, after another minute of waiting in silence, Sasori concluded that the person must have given up and gone away. This wasn't a good thing however as he realised that he would probably have to continue his lie about Zetsu now. As he wracked his brains though for a good excuse, the knocking resumed. This time, it seemed to be coming from the opposite side of the house.

_So they've gone to the back entrance now? Who _is_ this? Or is it someone new this time? Why do they want Yamanaka Ino so desperately?_

'Wow. They're persistent,' Kisame stated, and this time he ignored Itachi's call as he left the room. Afraid that his fight-thirsty companion was going to do something stupid Sasori stood up and made to follow him, only to find Itachi suddenly in front of him, apparently following the same thought lines as he was since the long, black haired Akatsuki member shimmered again, only to reappear in front of his work partner a moment later.

Kisame was taller than both Itachi and Sasori anyhow, but with the extra two steps height (for he had reached the stairs and Itachi, who had positioned himself in his way, was two steps below him) the difference in measurements was even more accentuated. Sasori might have found this view amusing had he not been supporting the disadvantaged (height wise, anyway) man.

'Stop it, Kisame - this is foolish,' Itachi tried to reason with his partner, his voice low just in case the persistent knocker heard him. Kisame didn't agree with the Uchiha on this point but, luckily for the other two criminals, understood the significance of his partner's lowered voice and so refrained from verbally replying (his own voice being naturally louder than Itachi's).

Sasori watched the two as they stood there on the stairs, eyes locked in a silent battle of wills, and felt an unwanted spark of interest light up inside of him. The way Akatsuki worked (with pairs) meant that each member only really interacted with his (or her, for the benefit the one female member of the group) partner. Sasori had always preferred it that way (not being the most sociable of people) but now, having seen a glimpse into another pair's relationship, he felt some regret. He had never thought to think about how the other pairs got on with each other, but had always assumed that they shared a similar 'bond' as that of Deidara and himself.

_Maybe, just maybe, I was too naïve. Why couldn't I see, even with our limited interactions with the other pairs, that we were different? If I had looked at Deidara with even half the intensity and authority that those two hold in their eyes he would have immediately given in. It's hard to explain, but the more time that passes, the more I find myself agreeing with that Yamanaka girl. I was…really…_lucky_._

* * *

'The Akatsuki are suddenly becoming active now,' Yamato commented, shocking Tsunade who had forgotten he was even there.

'Oh? Ah, right. Yes. Yes. The last time they were this active was a year or two back, when they were hunting for the jinchuuriki, wasn't it?' Tsunade replied, staring almost aimlessly at the door. With all that was happening, it was easy to want to just forget it all.

'And the last time this village was in such danger was when Orichimaru attacked, when the third was still at the head of Konoha's power system.'  
Yamato hadn't meant to say that but it had come out anyway. It made it sound much more serious than it actually was, he decided, but it seemed to have got Tsunade's attention.

'What do you mean? One of our Kunoichi has been kidna- has left the village, but that doesn't amount to anything near as big as the sound attack!'

'No,' Yamato agreed slowly, and then remembered something else. 'But there's the Akatsuki pair Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame that have been spotted less than twelve miles from here - and before that there was the black cloth found in the surrounding forest. When Kurenai's team was sent to scout the area Chouji was killed, and because I was allowed to see the body I have a fair idea of who did it; although I couldn't believe it at first because he was supposed to have been killed two years back as well.'

Yamato paused to take a breath just as the door opened to allow Shizune to enter carrying a large sake bottle, Tonton following at her feet. Briefly welcoming her, Tsunade then returned her attention to Yamato and took a calculated guess at who he was talking about.

'Akasuna no Sasori, right?'

Yamato flicked his eyes back over to Tsunade in mild surprise before nodding his affirmation. 'It makes some sense - especially with Akatsuki no Deidara appearing on the scene as well. Akatsuki works in pairs and the last time we encountered them they were working together as well.'

'Yes…but I truly thought we'd gotten rid of Akasuna no Sasori. Sakura, as my apprentice, was full of the story when she returned. But I suppose expecting a near-death woman and an apprentice medic nin to defeat a widely recognised puppet master was perhaps too hopeful? At least the Kazekage was not permanently killed. Then I truly _would_ feel as if we'd lost to them.'

Tsunade sighed, pouring herself a cup of sake as she did so. Shizune, who had been listening into the conversation avidly since she had re-entered the room, now spoke up, adding her own worries to the mix.

'If you're discussing the activeness of the Akatsuki recently then I think we should also consider what Danzou is intending on doing. I know he's been lying dormant for a long time - but that just increases my suspicions.'

Tsunade looked disinterested at this.

'I don't know what's happening with Danzou at the minute, but right now we have much more immediate problems to deal with. I think we should deal with Danzou when he actually comes out and does something - for when the seeds of chaos sprout, you have to pick the plants. We'll deal with things within our reach.' Tsunade replied decidedly and, although she didn't look too convinced with this theology, Shizune refrained from arguing further with her master.

'Aside from that, I've just had a terrible thought,' Yamato spoke up, looking very troubled. He had successfully caught the Hokage's attention with his words again. 'What if Akatsuki intend to attack this village like the sound did before? What if they've moved on to a new goal and want to show their power by defeating Konoha?'

'Tch,' Tsunade dismissed the idea. 'Let's not jump to conclusions. It would be too risky for them anyway. Konohagakure is one of the biggest shinobi villages in the ninja world. We have an elite ANBU force and many other skilled ninja. Even though they're powerful, it would wipe them out if they were to lose - and if they won, then they would be seriously weakened and prey to their other enemies; of which I'm sure there are many.'

Tsunade seemed certain of her reasoning, but Yamato didn't look convinced. Shizune also had her doubts; even if Danzou hadn't yet made a move, waiting for a time when Konoha was weakened such as now would be a perfect opportunity for him.

'But with root on their side…?' Shizune ventured.

'And a whole squadron of ANBU out chasing after only one of their members…?' Yamato added.

'Team Kakashi and team Guy (seven skilled ninja in total) have just been deployed for two of their most well recorded members,' Shizune continued.

'And team Kurenai is still in shock from the death of Akimichi Chouji,' Yamato finished grimly, noting that the Hokage's face had suddenly become a lot more serious.

'Sakura is missing,' Tsunade muttered, troubled. 'You're right - if they were to strike this is the perfect opportunity.' She paused. 'I hate to do it but…Yamato - go and call back the ANBU squad chasing Akatsuki no Deidara and Yamanaka Ino. I think we need them here more than searching for a lost lead.'

Yamato bowed but, before he could go, Shizune objected to the orders.  
'All of them? I know there is consternation as to whether Ino was a willing deserter or threatened into leaving, but she is still (until proven guilty) a Konohagakure Kunoichi. At least leave a couple of ANBU members stay to continue the search, Tsunade-sama! You said yourself that you didn't want to lose any more of our skilled ninja.'

Reluctantly, Tsunade nodded in agreement.

'Yamato - leave Inuzuka Hana and one other member of the squad behind to continue the search. Bring the others back as fast as you can - we don't know how much time we have left.'

This time Yamato bowed and left without interruption, closing the door behind him before fixing his 'cat' ANBU mask back on and sprinting off to the nearest exit of the village.

* * *

'Ino? Ino, are you there? Are you okay?' The voice sounded uncertain, as if the person wasn't used to calling on people. With it being a male voice Sasori wondered if it was perhaps because the caller was embarrassed about calling on a girl who he might, possibly, have feelings for. Although never having experienced love himself, Sasori had seen many men on his travels who had been (in his opinion) fooled into thinking they were in 'love' by their primal human desires.

'I-err, well. It's Shika here. I thought I'd come 'round to see how you were but…well, it doesn't matter. You're probably not in anyway…' The voice petered out, as if the person was slowly becoming aware that he could be talking to himself. 'I-er, brought you a gift though. I suppose I'll just leave it here. Um…Kurenai said she'd pop 'round later. I hope you're feeling better by then so, um, I'll just be going now.'

The three men inside, frozen as they listened to the dialogue, waited for 'Shika', as he had called himself, to leave - straining their ears for the sound of receding footsteps. Cleverly though, as if expecting Ino to come down after a few minutes, the young man waited for a while outside the door before finally giving up and leaving, his footsteps sounding heavy on the dirt garden path.

A minute after their guest had left the atmosphere suddenly became more relaxed and Sasori felt relieved – the young man's touching speech had successfully taken his companions' minds off the topic of Zetsu and why he didn't want to call on the cannibalistic plant.

'Well I suppose he decided for us,' Itachi said and Kisame broke into a grin, obviously pleased that his work partner was not holding a grudge against him for fighting back earlier. Sasori, feeling left out, decided that it was probably better for them to leave the house before Kurenai, Ino's sensei, came calling 'later'.

'Oi, Sasori-san – what's with that blank expression?' Kisame asked the redhead in what Sasori could only describe later as a playful tone. At the time though he started, flicking his eyes to the shark-man in surprise, the mild shock clearly visible in his hazel orbs. Rare as it was to have more than a polite 'hello' issued to him by one of the other members, it was the fact that Kisame's tone had held no hidden motives or malice to it that really offset him.

Opening his mouth and then shutting it again, Sasori decided that to say anything without thinking it over first was just likely to embarrass himself further. Kisame though, who had seen the effect his thoughtless words had caused, realized that he had overstepped an unspoken boundary and averted his eyes, both surprised and annoyed that he had managed to make the emotionally-dead puppet man show such vulnerability.

_Even so,_ Sasori thought, noticing the way Kisame looked away from him, _even though he caught me off guard, I don't resent him for it. I almost wish I had acted differently, more openly, so to invite more outbursts like that. When he said those words in that joking manner I…I felt…_accepted_._ He frowned at himself and his thoughts, as if only just realizing what he had been thinking. Disgusted at his weak-mindedness, Sasori tried a different line of thought; …w_hat is _wrong_ with me?_

'Now people have started coming to visit, it's probably time we left this place,' Itachi spoke up, apparently oblivious to the awkward atmosphere although Sasori thought it much more likely that he was merely ignoring the mood.

'Ee,' Kisame agreed, eager to get moving, but was stopped by a voice above him, once more emotionless as Sasori had had time to regain his usual composure.

'Where are we going?'  
When no-one answered for a moment or two Sasori continued, 'Although I now know where the Kyuubi brat is being held we haven't had enough time to make a plan for infiltration – especially considering he's being guarded inside the main ANBU base of the city – and we haven't a place nearby we can use for plotting either.'

Turning, Itachi made his way down the stairs as if completely ignoring Sasori's points and the puppet-master gritted his teeth. Even if he _was_ going soft inside, that wasn't reason enough for him to accept such disrespect. Wanting to shout out after his cold companion, Sasori's frustration mounted when he felt something hold him back.

_What? What is it? Am I afraid of him? Am I really that weak?  
_Kisame, glad to have the opportunity of stretching his legs, followed his partner down the stairs and into the room on his right without a second thought. Sasori was tempted to remain upstairs though, standing on the landing and staring down at where his two comrades had disappeared.

_And why shouldn't I? I don't belong to them and I'm not a stupid follower of Uchiha Itachi like Kisame is._  
Turning, Sasori found himself staring at the partly open door of Yamanaka Ino's room. It was darker inside than the rest of the house - probably because he had drawn the curtains the night before - but although the bed was out of sight Sasori could still see the blood on the door handle from where he had opened it last night.

An image of the pink-haired, innocent, dead girl lying on the bed with a kunai hole in her chest flashed into his mind and he found himself somehow drawn to the room and the morbid scenes it offered.

Before he even knew what he was doing Sasori found himself inside the shaded bedroom, standing in front of the bed and staring down at the lifeless body in front of him. Last night, aside from the blood, it would have been believable to suggest that Sakura was still alive; now though she looked more like a well-molded, grotesquely-designed figurine. As it had been more than twelve hours since she had been brutally murdered, the rigor mortis had begun to gradually dissipate and would continue to do so until approximately seventy two hours had passed since the time of death. The corpse still looked stiff though and pale; paler than Sasori had expected.

_Is she in heaven like she thought she was?_ Sasori found himself wondering as he unconsciously reached forward and brushed a stray piece of hair to the side of her face, making sure her hair was symmetrical on both sides._ I guess I'll find out when I see her in hell. Not that I'll be looking though, I suppose._

Some of the light streaming in from the hallway was cut off, causing Sasori to straighten up and turn his head to where he could clearly see the shadow of a person standing in the doorway. Because he was hidden behind a corner of the room Sasori knew that whoever was intruding on him couldn't see what he was doing and so he carefully opened his weapons pouch and silently withdrew a kunai, his natural instincts as a killer returning to him.

'Put that away, Sasori. I'm not here to fight with you.'

Hearing Itachi's voice saying those words caused Sasori to briefly grip the cool metal handle tighter before he resignedly returned it to its position among the other sharp metal projectiles and walked away from the bed, sparing his last target a final glance before turning his attention to the black-haired, black-eyed man now facing him.

'Ah, good,' Itachi murmured quietly, his eyes fixed on Sasori with unnerving intensity. 'For a moment there I thought you were going t-'

'Yamanaka Ino,' Sasori cut across him, suddenly lifting his eyes to meet the gaze directed at him with equal force to that of his supposed companion. Itachi raised an eyebrow, a move Sasori remembered that Kisame had copied earlier. Why did Kisame feel as if he should copy his partner? Was it a deep rooted like or, more likely in Sasori's eyes, a deep-rooted fear?

When Sasori refused to explain what he had meant however the Uchiha prodigy came up with the answer on his own.

'Ah. You want to go after Yamanaka, hn.'

Sasori refused to verify.

'Then we'll go as a team,' Itachi added, watching Sasori's face for any signs of aversion to the idea. Although he kept his facial expression blank, Sasori supposed his fellow Akatsuki member might have seen the distaste in his eyes – or sensed it in his aura – because he smirked. 'After-all, weren't you saying something earlier about making an infiltration plan?' Itachi continued and finally finished with, 'I'm sure the journey will provide ample time for strategizing.'

* * *

Tsunade, drowning another cup of Sake, continued the discussion with her assistant:  
'If they really are attacking then there should be more sightings soon. What are the necessary figures if we were to engage in battle right now?'

'Eh? Ah…' Shizune muttered uncertainly, shuffling through the papers on the desk before pulling out three forms and laying them down neatly in front of the Hokage.

'These are the figures for the number of ANBU, Juunin and Chuunin the village currently has. Minus the ANBU squad and six Jounin from the list and you should have the exact number currently inside the village walls. We don't have very accurate information on root members - or know whether we would have their loyalty during an attack - but we should take the loss of Sai into account as well.'

Tsunade nodded in response, glancing down the list with a growing frown.  
'Two of our ANBU are still guarding Danzou I assume?' She muttered, her eyes not leaving the paper. Shizune nodded and then, realising that the Hokage wasn't looking at her, confirmed the statement verbally. A moment later and Tsunade groaned.

'This is worse than I thought! Where is ANBU squad C? Why aren't they on the list?'

Tapping her chin lightly, Shizune racked her memory as to why a whole ANBU squad would be missing from the 'attendance' charts.  
'Ah! Remember we sent them off about a year and a half ago to help out Sunagakure because they were low on elites after the Akatsuki strike on their village?'

Tsunade nodded slowly, casting her mind back to the airborne note they had received asking for urgent help to restore their village and its defenses. It made sense back then to send an ANBU squad to help Sunagakure - because a village was always weakest after an attack and most prone to more attacks from enemies wanting to prey on weakened opponents.

'Well, they didn't come back,' Shizune finished simply, not expecting the outburst that was to follow.

'Well then get them back! I don't care if Sunagakure crumbles and falls down without their help - _we're_ in more urgent need of them now!' The Hokage snapped, standing up suddenly again; although this time her chair managed to stay upright.

Shizune bowed slightly before hurrying to the door.

'And whilst you're at it - ask if they can spare any of their own troops. They're our allies after all…'

Shizune bowed again but, just as she was about to leave she stopped, suddenly hit by an interesting idea.  
'Tsunade-sama…what if they're still after Naruto?' The Hokage stared back at her blankly and so Shizune continued, 'After all the effort they went to to obtain the Ichibi…and we have reports of other villages losing their Jinchuurikis as well, such as the Niibi…isn't it possible that they still haven't given up on that goal? They've failed so many times in trying to capture the Kyuubi that it's quite possible that they'd try and do something more drastic this time. Could it be that they want us to think they're attacking the village and forget about Naruto?' Although Shizune had only just had this revelation, she was already convincing herself of the idea. She wasn't doing so well with Tsunade though, who looked skeptical of the whole concept.

'No, I don't think that's it but, now you mention him, how is Naruto nowadays?'

Shizune sighed as she cast her mind back to the last time she had visited Naruto to check on his progress. He had been, well…  
'Restless,' she replied simply, 'but otherwise he's doing well. I think that he isn't too happy about being constantly guarded but…'

'Then we'll decrease his guard,' Tsunade decided firmly, causing her assistant to reel backwards in shock.

'D-d-_decrease_ his guard? But Tsunade-sama…! Didn't you hear my theory just now? With the village so unstable at the minute, isn't this the worst time to-'

'With the village so threatened I think it's more sensible to double the guard on the walls. If no-one can get in the village then no-one can get to Naruto…right?' When Shizune didn't reply a shadow of annoyance passed across the Hokage's already troubled face. 'Shizune, I want you to leave ANBU squad A at the base, guarding Naruto. Send squad B to join squad E on the walls. When the tracking squad returns then they, too, will help reinforce the walls. Got it?'

'H-hai, Tsunade-sama!' Shizune agreed, bowing and taking her leave with a troubled frown as she shut the door behind her. Tsunade's definite stubbornness was supposedly a good quality for a leader (at least she wasn't indecisive), but sometimes Shizune wished her own views would be listened to more closely. Naruto had been put under guard in case a situation like this occurred - but now the time was really here it seemed as if the pressure had got to the Hokage's head.

Leaning her back against the wall several meters away from the Hokage's office, Shizune found herself seriously contemplating going against her leader's orders for the first time since she had met her.  
'Ohh, Kami-sama…what should I do?'

* * *

Ahaha! The end! -- of this chapter anyway.

Sheesh, that seemed to take ages to edit. (anime sweat-drop).

Oh well. Despite my exams being over and wanting to relax, all of my teachers are dumping piles of coursework on me. Well, I'm tired of making excuses so I'll aim for the next chapter to be out in two weeks; my normal deadline.

Anyway, please review and tell me what you think. I'm still open to suggestions as to what people want to see in the story, although the basic plot is now set out. The end is in sight, although still a long way away...!

Lots of love,  
WfCP  
xxx


	18. Late afternoon Early evening

Ah, hello everyone!

First off I would like to apologise, if you'll let me, for how late this chapter is. I won't make excuses here because I always think people make them up to avoid blame and thus my opinion of them falls lower (I am a rather skeptical person). If you want to hear excuses I will post some on my profile, but here I just wanted to say that I'm sorry – because I am actually very ashamed at how late this is.

Sorry. Forgive me?

* * *

Tsunade's definite stubbornness was supposedly a good quality for a leader (at least she wasn't indecisive), but sometimes Shizune wished her own views would be listened to more closely. Naruto had been put under guard in case a situation like this occurred - but now the time was really here it seemed as if the pressure had got to the Hokage's head.

'Ohh, Kami-sama…what should I do?'

* * *

It was nearing late afternoon when the two scouting teams actually left Konoha, although the Hokage thought that they had most probably already left. This had had something to do with Kakashi's late arrival at the gates following their splitting in order to pack.

'Yosh! Kakashi-sensei finally came!' Lee called triumphantly, jumping and punching his fist into the air enthusiastically. 'Now we can set out! Whoop!'

Kakashi scratched the back of his head awkwardly and held out a submissive left hand in front of him as if about to make up an excuse, but he was stopped by Sai's unemotional voice speaking up on his right.

'You were visiting Obito's grave again, weren't you?'

Kakashi stiffened and was glad to see that no-one else was listening; Tenten and Neji were trying to calm down Lee - and Gai-sensei was stretching whilst verbally joining in the fun with encouragement to his 'mini-me'.

'I researched his name in the library. It seems he used to be a team-mate of yours?'

Kakashi didn't answer Sai but rather met his eyes for a moment. No matter how long he spent with the (ex-)root member, he couldn't help being unnerved by him. Maybe it was because he didn't know how to express his feelings properly (if he had them at all), or maybe it was because he was so observant. Out of all of team Kakashi, he couldn't deny that Sai was probably the one who knew the most about him. The only saving grace of this arrangement was that Sai didn't know what half of the things he knew allured to or meant. Even so…

'I don't want you to tell anyone,' Kakashi warned his student carefully, knowing that - because Sai didn't know what a secret was - he didn't feel the normal temptation to disobey the order. Sai stared at him blankly in reply as if trying to work out what Kakashi had to lose by people knowing he visited his friend's grave every day - but gave up because his emotional reading of people was almost as bad as his own emotional portrayal. Instead he nodded and watched as Kakashi, satisfied, turned back to the rest of their expanded team and broke up the 'fight'.

A faint flash of red out of the corner of his eye alerted Sai to the fact the something outside of the gates had moved but, just as he was about to point his discovery out to Kakashi, a new voice entered the scene:

'Hey guys! Tenten! I don't suppose you've seen Ino have you?'

Sai redirected his eyes to look at the new arrival in order to match the voice with the face. Shikamaru stood there, apparently slightly out of breath and slouching, waiting for an answer.

Everyone else stiffened at the words. Back when they had been given their mission two ANBU members had burst in and reported that Ino had left the village with Akatsuki-no-Deidara, a feared criminal. As they looked at the child genius in front of them though, innocent in the knowledge of his friend's kidnap and still suffering from the death of his teammate, no-one could bring themselves to tell him, even though they knew it would be worse if they didn't. Though they refused to tell him the truth, they couldn't bring themselves to lie either.

'She...what's happened to her? What are you hiding?' Shikamaru asked, a note of panic entering his voice. It was, Kakashi decided, even more pitiful watching him slowly come to the realisation that something was terribly wrong than if they had told him straightaway. Before he could act though he heard the black-haired boy standing beside him speak and found his eye drawn to the pale face.

'Ino has been kidnapped,' Sai supplied truthfully. Because of the others' hesitation he had momentarily hesitated himself, but he didn't see why they were keeping the information back when it was obviously so important to the boy in front of them; he hadn't been told not to tell anyway.

'But there is a squad of ANBU chasing after them!' Tenten added hastily at the sight of Shikamaru's shocked face.

'So she'll definitely be okay!' Lee added enthusiastically in an attempt to cheer his pinapple-haired friend up. Looking around him, Kakashi could see that most of his companions were cautiously smiling, desperately hoping that their put-on happiness would bring a smile to their friend's face as well. Kakashi remained serious though and Sai, still standing next to him, did not smile either. Perhaps that was because they had just remembered something. Shikamaru had only just managed to come to terms with the information when Sai spoke again.

'Sakura…Sakura-san is also missing.'

Kakashi glanced at his student at that remark because it surprised him. Not that it wasn't true or (particularly) that Sai had been the one to say it - but because he had been thinking exactly the same thing. Narrowing his one visible eye seriously, Kakashi returned his gaze to the child genius in front of him and nodded.

'Ee, that's true. I know you're upset about Chouji and...and now Ino - and so are we - but if you could, would you mind keeping a look out for Sakura?'

Shikamaru met Kakashi's eye with a blank stare, not altogether there. Then, very slowly, he nodded.

'I...Kurenai said she was going to see Ino...take her somewhere...I-I'll tell her...thankyou. Um...I-I'll look for Sakura...too. Yes. Ah...have a, um, safe mission. Yes, yes...'

With that said, Shikamaru turned and slowly made his way back, further into the town. The group watched him until he was out of sight before turning to face the open gates and, also slowly (their enthusiasm suddenly gone), beginning to head out.

As they both went their separate ways Sai couldn't help thinking that there was something he should say, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Deciding that it probably wasn't anything important if he had managed to forget about it he banished the thought from his mind and concentrated fully on his surroundings, making sure to keep his companions safe from any sudden attacks.

* * *

Getting out of the town had been easy, Sasori decided, but that didn't mean the rest of their mission would be. There was a wise saying that if one earned good luck it would stay with him, but Sasori also realised that it hadn't been their good luck that had allowed them safe passage through Konoha's walls but rather the poor guard system; _even if you have two people watching the gates, you should still post guards on the wall section behind them_.

Now, with the cool wind pummeling him as he practically flew through the air, Sasori felt refreshed. He wouldn't go as far as to say he was happy though because that would be a lie. In fact he was seriously beginning to doubt the reasoning for his earlier outburst. Their mission was to get the Kyuubi brat and 'escort' him back to the base so that they could drain his jinchuuriki - not to chase after some stupid blonde who had (perhaps unintentionally) taken his partner's heart and led to his death.

_But back then…I felt normal once again. I felt as if I needed to kill something. Before then I just felt weak - I felt useless. It's been so long since I felt that and I never want to feel that way again. That's what I thought back then. That's why I said it - why I rashly suggested this whole side mission. However I've had just about enough of this whole mission altogether. I want it to be over with already so I can leave those walls for good; to never have to see these woods again, let alone that fated town. Oh, what a fool I am. I haven't achieved permanent satisfaction; I never will until those walls are forever behind me. All I've managed to obtain is a temporary break from a mission that stole a piece of my heart in order to murder the person who stole it._

Originally the three Akatsuki had intended to travel a mere one hundred meters from the town walls - but due to the observation of several Konohagakure Shinobi preparing to leave, Itachi led them an extra three hundred meters as a precaution; any one of the ninjas standing by the open gate could have glimpsed them and acted upon it. Apparently satisfied that they were not being followed however, Itachi gave a slight wave of his hand as a signal before jumping down to the ground. First Kisame and then Sasori followed behind him, a small dust cloud rising when they contacted with the ground.

There was a momentary silence although none of them were out of breath. Then Kisame spoke.

'So where is this girl?'

It sounded to Sasori as if he had only asked the question in order to break the awkward mood that had once again managed to settle around the three, but that didn't mean his question wasn't a valid or useful one; in fact, it was a great sign of how unorganised their trip was. This annoyed Sasori though, who preferred to calculate everything beforehand.

'We will have to track her,' Itachi, who shared much the same views on preparation as Sasori did, replied helpfully; he made sure not to say outright that they didn't know. The awkwardness began to return, but just as Sasori was considering saying something Itachi opened his mouth once more.

'As neither of you have any special tracking abilities I'll take care of this. Kisame, S-' here he paused as if he had forgotten what he was going to say before continuing as if nothing had happened, '-Sasori - stay here. I'll return once I've found her.'

With that he turned his back on them but, before he could go any further, Sasori stopped him. He wasn't quite sure exactly what made him speak out because it was really a mixture of things all put together. Itachi and him hadn't gotten on well since when they had first met - Sasori had had to fight him in order to join the Akatsuki - but as they never had to spend any time with each other it hadn't mattered. Now though Itachi's proud and superior aura reminded Sasori why he hated the man so much.

_Who gave him the right to boss us around?_

'…And who made _you _the boss?'

Itachi froze at the cold tones but, as his personality was generally just as cold, it didn't faze him for long. He could have faked a smile and put on a sickeningly sweet voice to annoy his tense companion further but he refrained. It really would've be pointless. Instead he turned back around, his sharingan already activated and shining an eerie and imposing blood red. Then, with two words, he brought the conversation to a halt.

'My eyes.'

Sasori had expected (or perhaps hoped, because he needed to get rid of his stress somehow) him to challenge him to a fight, but he wasn't surprised by what the answer really was. Itachi was an Uchiha after all; everything had to be conserved, logical, cold, _proud_. What annoyed Sasori perhaps the most though was that Itachi hadn't even considered another person being the leader - his answer had simply explained why it had to be _him_. Itachi had left though, disappearing with a 'pop' as he used his oh-so-special eyes to teleport somewhere with a better view. Sasori remained staring at where his black-haired rival had been standing a few seconds ago. A cough, however, brought him out of his trance-like state.

'Ah, Sasori-san?' Itachi's partner ventured cautiously and was rewarded with a turn of the head and a connection with two deep brown orbs. Not able to say that he knew the man he was stuck with very well, Kisame broke the connection in preference for a less formal linger on the striking hair. 'Itachi-san, he…' here he paused, not quite sure how to put what he wanted to say into words. Sasori waited.

'Itachi-san isn't a bad man. Ah, I mean-'

'We're all bad men,' Sasori cut across him blankly; purely stating a fact. Kisame didn't dispute it - in fact he even grinned slightly at it, proud of his reputation. His face returned to a serious visage not long after though.

'Ah, do you see what I'm trying to say though, Sasori-san?' When he didn't receive even the smallest indication of being heard Kisame sighed and continued, 'lots of people don't like him - hate him even - but he's not too bad when you get to know him. Actually, he's pretty decent.'

Sasori blinked and then nodded, the first indication that he had heard. He knew less about Kisame than he did of Itachi, but that didn't necessarily mean than the shark-nin had less of a character; really, it was interesting to hear him speak about his partner like that. Not that he seemed to be going anywhere with his praise though. Sasori opened his mouth to reply but then shut it again as he saw something out of the corner of his left eye.

Turning his head, Sasori found himself looking through the trees' foilage towards the cliff face into which the Hokage's faces were carved - except the part he was looking at was quite a way to the right of the art. Standing on top of the cliff was a small figure wearing a black cloak. It didn't take an expert to work out who he was and Sasori found himself drawn to the lone figure for a few moments, the black hair rising and falling as the wind played its self-amusing games.

_Ah. Even though none of us have real tracking talents, he figured he could see better from up there - am I right?_ _Although it's risky to stand up there in full view of the town._ Sasori glanced at Kisame for a moment, wondering whether he, too, had seen Itachi. Apparently he had because his eyes were directed at the cliff, but when Sasori flicked his eyes back to where Itachi had been standing before he was gone - a brief figment of the imagination, or so it seemed; _maybe that's what he hopes the Konohagakure citizens who saw him will think._

'Don't worry - Itachi-san knows what he's doing,' Kisame's gruff tones broke into Sasori's thoughts, trying to reassure him. 'He doesn't make mistakes.'

That someone was actually praising Itachi was bad enough for Sasori - but what was worse was that it was Kisame, Itachi's own partner. Not because it made it more believable, or that Sasori was moved by his admiration of the Uchiha - but because it highlighted the lack of visible, verbal and altogether noticeable admiration between Deidara and himself when they were still a team; _I was always putting him down…and __then he would tease me a lot. Now I think about it though, maybe he _did_ admire me. He always called me 'no danna' _(A/N 'master')_ for a start. I wonder…if somebody had observed us closely for a while, what conclusion would they have come to? Sometimes you need an impartial onlooker in order to cure our short-sightedness - but if I had the chance of seeing that (what our thoughts of each other really were) for myself, would I take it? I…I'm not sure that I would._

'Why…why are you telling me all of this anyway?' Sasori asked of Kisame in confusion and then, unable to channel his emotions out any other way, he added sharply, 'Do you think I'm going to be swayed so easily into worshipping that bastard?'

Perhaps Sasori had (once again) been expecting an invitation to fight but Kisame only chuckled at the venom and choice of words. 'Ah, Sasori-san, I didn't think you'd be converted that easily. Maybe I should try a more logical explanation?' When Sasori didn't reply Kisame continued, unfazed, 'I may not be the most intellectual of this group, but that doesn't mean I haven't gained intelligence through my experiences – and from what I've gathered from my past is that the missions which succeed are carried out by professionals and that the teams who can't work together fail.'

For a moment he paused, as if letting his wisdom and meaning sink in. 'So, Sasori-san, I'm not asking you to 'worship' Itachi – or even to like him. I just hope that you can hold back your emotions towards him long enough for us to complete this mission to a satisfactory standard because, although we are powerful, we are not invincible – and I like to keep the chances of success as high as possible.'

With this said Kisame finally deemed it suitable for meeting Sasori's eyes and this time it was Sasori who looked away. The logical explanation had been much better than Sasori had expected it to be, coming from Kisame (who he generally assumed to be a fairly stupid side-kick/muscle-man) anyway. However it hadn't been quite good _enough_.

'Kisame, I am not going to conform and have my whole personality, my whole being and all that I depend on change just for the sake of a mission which is, after all, merely given out on the whim of a dictator. I don't know you very well and I believe the same is true vice-versa, so maybe I should give you a deeper insight into my character. I once heard a saying which I later took to heart; it goes something like, 'you were wild once – don't let them tame you'. I know it might seem to someone who doesn't know me very well as the kind of saying that I would specifically _not_ choose – but it's gotten me this far and I believe it has the power to take me further too.'

_I appear tame, but that's probably because my idea of 'wild' is different from other people's. When I was younger they tried to make me the same as them – they tried to bring me up like the rest of them, but they failed. They failed because I wasn't like 'the rest of them'. Then again, what did they expect? I thought it was obvious I was different from quite early on, but they probably put my differences down to having lost my parents. Personally, I think the shock of losing my parents was just the stepping stone to the internal realisation of my uniqueness. It wasn't the root cause of it._

'You see, Kisame? Your argument was good...but it fell down because of one crucial point; I don't care. I don't care about this mission and I don't care if we succeed or fail. I don't even care about what happens next.'

After a slight pause Sasori decided that, as he had gone far enough to tell Kisame all he had so far, it wouldn't be too much of a jump to quickly summarise his personality in a few words. For a moment, as he opened his mouth to speak again, he raised his eyes to greet the grey ones of his fellow Akatsuki member; this time though, the connection was not broken.

'...I only care about myself.'

* * *

Shizune's heels clicked loudly on the cold, impersonal concrete floor as she walked through one of the many long, confusing corridors belonging to the ANBU base. She would be very glad to get away from the military-feeling place because the atmosphere chilled her inside and made her long for some kind of comfort; not that she would ever tell Tsunade this of course - or any one else for that matter - because she was supposed to be able to cope with something so small. Still, she didn't get how someone could spend most of their lives in a place like this.

It wasn't as if the people who lived here were particularly strange or chilling themselves, just the place they lived in. She had finished her meeting with the leaders of the two main ANBU squads (A and B) that were currently stationed at the base and was now making her way towards the exit of the building as quickly as possible. Although everything had gone smoothly and ANBU squad B were now heading to reinforce the walls as Tsunade had wanted, Shizune was still in turmoil inside.

_I did the right thing, didn't I?_ She tried convincing herself as she nodded a grim greeting to the door-guards and waited for them to push open the heavy entrance door, allowing bright sunlight to stream through the widening gap. It was nearing late afternoon and Shizune guessed that the two teams they had sent out after Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame had probably left by now.

The clicking of her heels resumed as she walked out into the welcome fresh air, her pace remaining fast until she was at least fifty meters away from the place. Then she found a low wall near the town centre and sat down, giving herself a small rest before she had to return and report to Tsunade.

_What Tusnade ordered _did_ make sense, so why am I so uncomfortable about it all? _Shizune wondered, her head bowed. Lifting it, she let her eyes roam the street in front of her and found herself drawn to one person in particular; a small blonde boy running after his mother. There weren't many people out at this time, but as she was near the centre of the town the street she was sitting by the side of had more than most would have had - twelve people altogether, not including her; _so I'm the unlucky thirteenth?_

The boy she was following with her eyes looked to be about four or five and had probably been picked up from school an hour or so ago. She wasn't quite sure what made her pick him out of all the other people in the street but he was full of energy, constantly smiling. Was that just because he was young though?

_I think that when you get older the real smiles stop. There's too much stress, too much worry, too much responsibility. Then do I wish I was young again?_

For a moment Shizune met the boy's sparkling eyes and instinctively smiled back. When he looked away though she felt guilty because it was as if she had smiled just to protect his innocence - that it was somehow wrong for a child to see someone hurting; but that reasoning in itself was wrong because it involved lying to that child.

_What is a true smile?_

The boy's mother had already turned the corner and so he hurried after her, not sparing Shizune another glance. She wondered if, had she not have smiled at him, he would have looked at her again - but it was irrelevant. She would have to report to Tsunade soon and just sitting here she felt as if she was wasting her life and her time. The town was in peril, which meant all of it's residents. That meant that everyone around her, everyone she could see with her own eyes and everyone in this town that she _couldn't_ see with her own eyes were in real danger.

_That young boy…him too. Sometimes I think it's good to do this - to come here and see them with my own eyes. It gives my job some realism and me some incentive. I suppose in a way the young _do_ have a responsibility. It's to encourage and urge us older ones on in our work. They are our incentive._

With this satisfying realisation, Shizune got up from the wall and began to make her way back to the Hokage's office. She hadn't managed to solve the mystery of why she felt so uneasy about following Tsunade's orders this time, but at least she had been able to forget it all for a few moments.

* * *

So, that's the end of this chapter. Sorry (again, ha!...) that there wasn't any DeiIno, but If you've been following the times then actually they are currently quite a way ahead of the other groups (I left them when it was nearing night, and the other groups are currently in late afternoon/early evening timescale). Thus I was originally intending to use this chapter as a catch-up chapter for the other groups so that I could begin introducing more Deidara and Ino bits (I don't think there will be much lovey-dovey stuff between them for at least a few chapters if not for longer though because they've just separated and my writing style is very slow). However I should begin to introduce the rival/side pairing in the next two chapters or so. Next chapter should finish the time catch up so that we can return to our two main characters, Okay?  
Heh, ;).

I'll start writing it right away!! Don't kill me!!  
Lols.

Oh well, reviews would be very much appreciated but, until next time,  
Have fun!

Much love,  
-WfCP  
xxx


	19. Late evening Early night

Hi everyone!

This was about twelve pages long in word, just so you know.  
I won't be able to post another one up for some while, but the reasons are posted in the end-note.  
This chapter is finishing catching up so that I can write some parts with Deidara and Ino in next chapter.  
Side-pairing will also be introduced next chapter.  
Sorry for putting the 'f' word in, it just kind-of fitted.  
I hope you enjoy and I love you all lots.  
Thank you for reading.  
xxx

* * *

Shizune got up from the wall and began to make her way back to the Hokage's office. She hadn't managed to solve the mystery of why she felt so uneasy about following Tsunade's orders this time, but at least she had been able to forget it all for a few moments.

* * *

Trees_._ So many trees. Then, on the horizon, mountains. A town to the left, crushed clay underfoot. A refreshing breeze playing with his hair…

Itachi closed his eyes for a moment, simultaneously searching for nearby chakras and savouring the cool breath of the wind God. There was no-one in a four hundred meter radius of him; _good._ Expanding his range to a mile he began to sense the chakras of random ninjas inside the town and, continuing, he blinked open his eyes a second later to fix them on a concrete building near the centre of the town; _a lot of power…must be the ANBU base. Ah, Sasori said that that was where our target is currently being held. Hn._ Burning the impersonal building and its surroundings into his mind, Itachi returned to his expanding search, eyes closed.

Just over a mile later and he found his comrades, roughly four hundred meters outside the town walls and exactly where he had left them. Noticing that their chakras were calm, he smiled slightly to himself; so Sasori's grudge didn't extend to Kisame as well. _Interesting_.

Not far from his fellow Akatsuki members were more chakras and, as he blinked open his eyes again to see if he could spot the culprits, Itachi remembered faintly sensing the chakras not too long ago. Squinting, he could just about make out vague, hazy shapes travelling (in plain sight) along one of the roads leading out of Konohagakure. Tracking their chakras he realized that they were heading away from the town and so he remembered the two teams that had been readying to leave as they had escaped over the walls; _ah._ As they had already passed Kisame and Sasori though he dismissed them as a threat and concentrated on finding the Yamanaka girl.

Shutting his eyes once again, Itachi extended his range faster than before, mindlessly 'travelling' across great stretches of open land with little or no distractions. He stopped abruptly though with a small shock at the finding of a whole group of skilled ninja. They were heading towards him - or heading towards the town anyway - although they were at least eleven miles away yet. It would have been pointless to try and see who they were by opening his eyes, but Itachi figured that he could at least vaguely pinpoint their position.

The sun was too bright when he opened his eyes as he had gotten used to the relative darkness of the back of his eyelids. Squinting once again though he began to look for a landmark near where he assumed the group to be. There was nothing too obvious but about six miles nearer the town from them there was a large yew tree that stood tall above the others. Breathing calmly now as usual, Itachi decided that if he was to travel in that direction then the point where they crossed would be near that yew tree. Thus he also burned that image into his mind.

Retreating back to the blackness and solitude of his mind, eyes closed once more, Itachi returned to his search, the concentration needed beginning to take its toll on him. For a moment he lost control and felt the chakras on his radar waver. Then, gritting his teeth, he regained concentration and diligently pushed on with the search, silently praying (to the sun God) that the girl wouldn't be much further now.

_If she had been running non-stop though then she could be a lot further. Didn't she leave last night? Even if she had slept she could be a lot further, hn. Kusou, even _I_ can't keep this up for much longer - and I've yet to teleport back._

Just as Itachi was about to stop though in order to save enough energy to teleport safely back to where his two companions were waiting he found something. It was past the wood and nearing the horizon, although the actual chakra itself was stationary. In fact it wasn't just one chakra, it was two.

_Two…? But she was alo-  
ah, ah!? What…? How…?_

He broke the connection, wincing as he felt his consciousness return to the cliff he was still standing on and the cool breeze still caressing his skin. It took a lot to upset him and his thoughts like just then but, as he rested his eyes near the horizon, where he knew their new target was now, he judged the finding to be deserving of his discomposure.

Flicking his eyes over to where he had left his companions though he sighed, knowing that he would have to make a decision that he didn't particularly want to make.

_Hn. Well, Sasori had it coming._

* * *

Shizune. Where was she? He had heard her out in the corridor, talking to one of the guards not long ago - so where was she? He wanted to talk to her. The sound of the door opening triggered the swift turning of his head, red eyes flashing dangerously.

'Naruto-sama? Your dinner is ready.'

Naruto stiffened for a moment before letting his body relax, blood-coloured eyes returning to their normal clear blue. The young ANBU member holding the tray of food was wearing his mask so Naruto couldn't see his face – but he knew the mask by name anyway.

'Haruko-san,' he greeted without much feeling as he rose and began to walk towards him, intending on taking his dinner. 'Where is Shizune? I heard her here twenty minutes ago.'

Haruko tried not to show his pity for the fox-boy in front of him – it wasn't his fault that nobody seemed to like him now, was it?  
'Ah, that would be half an hour ago, Naruto-sama. She left half an hour ago.'

Immediately Naruto stopped and Haruko saw his eyes flash in reply to his words.  
'She…she _left?_' He growled, fangs beginning to show. Haruko sighed and then bent down, intending to leave the tray of food on the floor and retreat before the boy in front of him got worse, but Naruto refused to let him leave.

In less than a second Haruko found himself pressed up against the wall, staring into bottomless red eyes with his back still smarting from where it had been shoved against the wall. His mask still on and his rival, feral smile hidden, Haruko couldn't help taunting the boy more now that he had actually been dragged into a fight. Naruto's tantrums were becoming more and more frequent as of late.

'Ahahaha, what'cha gonna do little fox, hmmm?' He asked, baiting him. 'You gonna fight me properly or just keep me pinned up here like a coward, hmmm?'

Naruto's face contorted hatefully, skin pulling back into an animalistic snarl and leaving his sharp teeth in full view. Haruko merely laughed, the sound both magnified and changed by the clay mask he wore.

'_Teme…_' Naruto hissed through gritted teeth, '_you're_ the coward!'

Knowing what was coming next, Haruko braced himself for flying through the air. A moment later and he was crouching at the opposite side of the room from his angry opponent, still chuckling quietly.

'What? That all you got, fox-boy? Really, that's dissapoi-_ah!_' Haruko's carefree taunts were cut off as he fell to the floor, his cheek stinging and his mask now several meters away.

'_Shut up and fight me._'

'Heehee,' Haruko giggled as he blocked the second punch, 'that tickled!' Even so, his laughter and words sounded a little forced now, a little fake, and his mischievous green eyes had lost some of their sparkle.

As the attack became more intense and a thin layer of red chakra began to seep out through pores in Naruto's skin though, Haruko's mouth began to take on a more serious mould. Gathering his strength into his right foot, he managed to aim and place an almost-perfect kick to Naruto's stomach and watched as he flew off of him and over to the other side of the room. Pushing himself up into a crouch again, Haruko edged towards his mask, keeping his eyes warily fixed on Naruto as he did so.

'Oi! You gonna back out now, teme?' Naruto called after him and Haruko's mouth twitched upwards, not being able to stay serious for long.

'Aww well - I don't want to hurt you, see?' He asked in a mock-serious tone, standing and fixing his mask back on. When he looked at Naruto again though he was gone and Haruko only just managed to duck in time, throwing himself to the ground as his even-more-angered-now adversary jumped at him from behind.

'Heeheehee, you just won't give up, will you? Heeheeheeee...'

'_Shut the fuck up, you bastard!_'

This time as Naruto rushed at him again Haruko saw that the red chakra still pouring out of Naruto and surrounding him had managed to form not one tail but two. Eyes wide behind the mask, Haruko swore before gathering his chakra into his right arm and blocking Naruto's punch. The force of the attack though was enough to push him back, feet skidding across the floor, until his back was once again against the wall.

'Ahhhh!! Shidaku-san!! Help meeee…!!' Haruko cried playfully, although he really meant what he said this time. It always went like this. He would always push the Kyuubi kid too far and Shidaku would always have to step in and stop him.

'Heeheehee…' It wasn't his fault that he laughed though – it was just an instinctive habit now. He always laughed whilst fighting. He couldn't help it.

The clatter of a mask falling to the ground alerted Haruko to the fact that he had just been hit again and the warm, uncomfortable feeling of blood running down his face and past his eye suggested that his left temple had been cut. Raising his arms to completely cover his face because he wasn't sure how his body would survive another hit to the head, Haruko found himself laughing again, interspersed only with pleas to stop.

'Ahahahaha…please stop, Naruto-sama – I was just joking, haha wahhh! Shidakuuuu…!! Hahaha…_help_!!'

With his face protected, the rest of his body was wide open to attack and Naruto, not at all in control now as a third tail began to develop, intended to make full use of the lack of defense. Just as a red-framed fist was about to contact soft stomach flesh though it was stopped by a thin hand framed with a thick blue chakra.

Tracing the also-faintly-blue-shimmering arm back up to the lithe body covered tightly by the standard ANBU uniform and then up to the owl mask positioned to hide the face, Haruko gave a rather nervous chuckle of relief.

'Shi-Shidaku! Hahaha…just on time…hahaha…'

His companion didn't spare him a glance, let alone a verbal answer, and instead concentrated on taming the beast he had just blocked. With swift and calculated movements that looked like they had been used a lot before, the owl-masked ANBU member managed to restrain the raging fox-child in front of him, all the while surrounded by that shimmering blue wind chakra that he specialized in. Then, once he had gotten Naruto to the floor and his arms restrained, he spoke his first words.

'Haruko-san, please wait outside.'

'Oh! Ahahaha, right away Shidaku! You're a life-saver, heehee…' The younger of the two replied, still giggling because the excitement of the fight hadn't quite left him yet. Still, the laughter would stop soon – it was always worst at the climax of a fight.

Once the door was closed Shidaku sighed and tried to speak reason to the very unreasonable child (Naruto was not yet eighteen, although not far away) kneeling on the floor in front of him.

'He's gone now. You can calm down.'

'_Let go of me._'

'No. You can fight him later. If you persist on changing into this form though you'll never be able to finish the fight. Didn't Kakashi tell you once to rely on your own power?'

'_That…_ah, ahh – Kakashi-sensei! Where's Kakashi-sensei?'

Shidaku winced at the lie he was going to tell.  
'He's coming. He'll be here soon, so calm down.'

'A-and Sakura-chan? Will Sakura-chan come too?'

'Yes, her too. They are both coming, so calm down. You don't want to hurt them, do you? Sakura-san won't like that.'

This always happened. As Shidaku talked he saw the red chakra around Naruto gradually fade until it was nothing. His eyes would be the last to change colour. As Naruto relaxed his guard so did he, because the wind chakra shield was hard to keep up for long. Then, once all of the red chakra had disappeared, Shidaku let Naruto go and stood up, stretching his arms out in front of him.

'Kakashi-san and Sakura-san will be here soon. Wait here and I'll show them through, okay?'

Naruto's eyes were still tinted red when he looked up at his suppresser hopefully, but Shidaku knew that he would be okay now. Turning, he walked over to the door but, as he reached out a hand to open it, Naruto's voice stopped him.

'Ah-ah, are they…are they really coming, Shidaku-sempai?'

Closing his eyes as if it would help him keep his composure, Shidaku blanked his mind and proceeded to finish a performance he had put on so many times.

'Yes. Yes, Naruto-sama. This time, they're really coming.'

Then he opened the door and left, closing it behind him. For a moment he stayed there, silently staring at the concrete wall. Naruto would forget everything once he had rested. He wouldn't remember the lies he had just been told. Shidaku would be forgiven, even if it was unknowingly. What a pitiful existence.

'Heh. Every time, Shidaku, eh? Everytime you stand there and pull that long face. _You_ don't forget, so why repeat it, hmmm?'

'You went too far today, Haruko-san. You pushed my limits. Anyway, don't you have some work to do?'

'Awww, drop the '-san', Shidaku! How many times do I have to tell you? I mean, seriously, ahahaha – it's as if you've got short-term memory loss or something! Hee…'

The floor was cold and made of concrete. All of the walls were concrete too, and the door was made of metal. Those two idiots outside…why? Why did they bother to spend their time on him? Most people would have left the dinner and gone. And where was Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan? Then, thinking about dinner…

…Naruto glanced towards the door to see that the food was still sitting on the tray; _ramen, ramen, ramen!_ His stomach growled but, as he attempted to get up he just fell down again, suddenly too weak to move. If an outsider had looked they would have seen his eyes turn from red to blue before slowly closing, his raw face from where the chakra had pulled away his skin oozing deep red blood which dripped irregularly onto the hard, cold floor.

He really was pitiful…

…but pity was the last thing he wanted.

* * *

Something was wrong. Sasori could tell it from the way that Itachi was acting. Not that he knew the Uchiha well enough to say he knew what he was thinking or when he was upset – but somehow the atmosphere wasn't right; even less right than how it had been before.

They had been travelling for half an hour now, blanketed in a thick silence of deep individual thinking. Kisame and he hadn't talked anymore after he had told him that he only cared about himself – but Sasori thought it might have been better that way. Itachi though…it was really bothering him. Unconsciously, Sasori found himself clenching his fists as he jumped from tree to tree, the breeze no longer 'refreshing' but rather one of the only things that was stopping him from losing his cool again.

_I…was never this dysfunctional before but…'before' what? When did this start? What was the cause?_

Thinking back, Sasori could only think of when he had been washing the blood off of his hands in the Yamanaka's bathroom. The murder of Sakura though – how could that have affected him? It wasn't as if he knew her very well or had felt any particular attachment to her. Not like Deidara had for Ino.

_Ah._

There he had his answer though. Back then, in the bathroom, he had thought of Deidara. He had realized that he was so fazed and acting so abnormally because of the death of his work partner.

_No. Didn't I say 'friend' back then? Didn't I?  
…Did I?  
Ah. I do not know anymore. Does it even matter?_

It was painful, so very painful, but he had absolutely no idea why. He had already accepted Deidara's death so…why should he still hurt? The way that he had stressed his lack of knowledge ('_I do not know_') was pitiable.

_Is it possible that I should…_pity_…myself?_

What was that feeling? _Why_ was there feeling? Surely he shouldn't feel anything at all?

…_Why…?_

So intent was Sasori on his disjointed lines of thought that he didn't look where he was going, his face and body as a whole covered in an intangible, dark aura. He passed his two companions without realizing it, only noticing something was wrong when his cloak suddenly felt tight on him, holding him back. Eyes wide as he was brought to a sudden halt, he slowly turned his head to see Kisame standing on a branch a few feet behind him, a strong, large hand gripping the back of his cloak firmly. As quickly as he could, Sasori returned his face to that of an uninterested person – successfully blanking out his momentary surprise. Then Kisame let go of him.

Jumping to the ground they both joined Itachi and Sasori felt a slight pang of déjà-vu from earlier. For a while they waited there in silence, Sasori becoming increasing irritated. Shouldn't they be continuing? Why had they stopped? For a rest?

_But none of us are tired._

Then Itachi disappeared, once again leaving Kisame and Sasori alone together. He had left without a word and so by the time Sasori found the words to protest he was already gone. He glanced at Kisame for a moment but, although he caught his eye, the shark-nin immediately looked away.

_Sorry. Do you hate me now? Do you think I'm weird?_

The pain was there again. Sometimes it would flare and sometimes it would hide but, Sasori realised, it was always there. Had it _always_ been there?

_Help._

He couldn't say it – and it repulsed him that he had even though it. What was wrong with him? Had something as simple as a death really been enough to send him over the edge? Had he really been that insecure? It hurt.

A picture of his parents flashed into his mind; a picture he had seen of them whilst growing up. Real memories of them were non-existent because he had only been a baby when they had left him for a mission and never returned.

_Why think of them now though?_

He had hated them - hated them for leaving him without the same unconditional love and attention as the other kids. He had had no father to boast of, no mother to lean on and cry to when he was hurt. His grandmother had tried but…it just hadn't been the same.

_What would it have felt like? To have 'parents'? What would I have…become?_

Why was he thinking these things? He hadn't thought of them for so long; _so long, so long, so long._ _Ah, I'm echoing.  
Is that because my mind is empty – that the echoes sound so easily?_

Why had thinking about Deidara made him think of his parents? It was different – so very different - wasn't it? They were both dead but…he hadn't ever gotten to talk to his parents, to get to know who they really were. Had he really gotten to know who Deidara was though, even though he had talked to him? He had thought he was stupid for being taken in by the blonde girl's looks and character – but maybe that was just because he didn't understand him.

He had hated his parents, but also wanted to know what their love would have been like. Equally he'd acted as if he hated Deidara, but now longed to know what his friendship would have been like.

_People who say they have no regrets in life…are they lying?  
They…must be lying._

'ANBU,' a cold voice spoke up, breaking into Sasori's world and cruelly jerking him back to the forest he was standing in. Itachi was back and it had been he who had spoken, his eyes deliberately fixed on something to the left of Sasori so that he didn't have to meet his eyes.

_Has there been a reverse of power?_

'Eh? Itachi-san?' Kisame questioned in a confused manner, just as clueless as Sasori as to why the Uchiha had been acting so strangely; no-one had spoken until now since Itachi had returned with the whereabouts of their target.

'Just now an ANBU squad passed by about two-hundred meters to our right. They were heading towards Konohagakure, so we can continue our mission safely now.' He paused for a moment to let the information sink in before continuing, 'we're roughly half-way there. Let's go.'

He was off again – too quick for Sasori's mind to formulate questions or replies. Mindlessly Sasori followed him, Kisame a few meters in front. As he travelled, before he became too involved in his thoughts again, he saw, to his right, a tall yew tree standing high above all of the others around it.

_Who am I? Am I like that tree? Or am I like a small flower on the woodland floor?  
...Am I even a flower?_

These swirling, confusing thoughts that seemed to go nowhere but deeper and deeper into a self dug hole of despair continued for another hour. During this time the three Akatsuki reached the end of the forest and then crossed a lake. The scenery was really beautiful, the water so clear, yet even the world around him which was so prettily lit up couldn't pull him out of that hole. Because the hole was dug much deeper than he could have imagined – and he had been digging for far longer than he realised.

There were hills now - just an endless, everlasting sea of hills. From the top of one though Sasori thought he could see the desert in the distance. It was a weird feeling that it sparked; one of nostalgia – but happy and sad, calm and angry at the same time. Almost perversely, thinking about the past helped him to focus on the present. This was though, he supposed, a natural turn of events; from past, to present, to future. Before he could move onto thinking about the future however he was stopped by Itachi's quiet voice.

'We are near where I sensed them before. It would be best not to go too high, Sasori-san.'

For a moment Sasori froze, surprised at the formal suffix that had escaped the Uchiha's lips – Itachi never seemed to call him formally although, not being on the best of terms, he couldn't think why.

Obediently, Sasori descended the hill and came to stand with his two companions. It was apparent that Itachi had located Yamanaka's chakra again because he seemed to know where he was headed. Kisame and Sasori followed him.

It was weird, Sasori realised, that now he had been drawn out of his thoughts and back into the world around him he was suddenly so much more aware of the feel of the cool dusk air on his skin and the soft grass pressed beneath their feet as they cautiously approached their target.

Listening carefully, Sasori could hear voices. Although they were probably not too far away though their sound was carried away from him by the cold wind blowing in from the desert. It was probably some scavengers or renegade ninjas who had spotted her alone and decided to take advantage of her, Sasori decided with an air of practicality.

_Ah, unexpected – but I suppose that gives something for Kisame and his partner to do whilst I finish off the girl_, Sasori thought logically, his senses having begun to return to him now. _That way I won't be disturbed._

They must have been nearer than he thought because Itachi signaled a stop as they approached yet another hill. They crouched at the foot of the hill to give themselves some rest as they listened to what was being said (because, now a lot nearer, the voices were audible to the three missing nins).

'You ungrateful _bastard_! Don't you care even the slightest bit about what we just did? D-don't you…' Here the voice petered out. It was Ino.

Sasori, crouching on the cool grass with his left hand leaning against the mossy hill-side, started to feel the beginnings of dread spark inside of him - but his mind refused to focus on it. The words didn't sound like they were being directed to a group of harassing men, but rather to one person with whom she was quite close. Again, Sasori's mind refused to think further. If he had wanted to, he could have searched for the chakra to see how powerful the person was…but he didn't want to.

_Why is Itachi sitting on my right when Kisame is on my left? Why do I feel so surrounded so suddenly?_

Something definitely wasn't right.

Then the next voice spoke.  
'Yeah that was fun, wasn't it?'

The words were over so quickly that Sasori might have fancied that he had missed them, or been mistaken about their owner – but with his thoughts having been so focused on his blonde companion after his death was announced it was really impossible for him to be mistaken.

He was shocked, completely and utterly shocked. Honestly, he hadn't realised that something could have the capability to cause this much physical inability, for he had frozen in place. It felt as if a sharp metal sword had run itself through his head, through his brain, severing his central nervous system (CNS) and blocking all possibility of feeling.

_Where am I?_

Even the world had disappeared, but thinking about it helped to bring him back. He was kneeling (he had fallen to his knees from a crouching position after hearing the voice) on grassy ground, his vision darkened by the shadow of an average-sized hill to his left. There were two people near him, but they weren't the ones he wanted to be near.

_That voice…_

He couldn't bring himself to say the name but, although the sword was still stuck through his head and numbing his mind, he found that he could suddenly move. He had stood without realizing it, apparently no longer in control of himself, and made as if to run towards the source of his distress.

His legs faltered though and he was forced to recognize his surroundings more fully as he traced the source of his halt back from the pale hands firmly griping his upper arms to the black Akatsuki cloak and, finally, to the serious face of Uchiha Itachi, his black eyes even colder than normal.

Spurred on by adrenaline born from a type of desperation, Sasori made to shake him off and escape, only to be met by an even more formidable force before he had even started. Kisame, now also standing, took a hold of his shoulders so tightly that he was forced to kneel back on the ground, his mind in no position to think up strategies beyond blind panic and fear.

He _had_ to find him. He _had _to or else…or else he might disappear again.

_Disappear…D- _For a moment his mind couldn't form the word, couldn't even remember it. It scared him.

_D-Deidara…_

There was a sense of release in that word. A sense of something lifting from him – as when you remember something that has been annoying you for a long time because of your inability to place it.

Even this relief though was not enough to satisfy him for, now that the sword was removed, he found the pain return to him – as if the blood was all of a sudden flowing freely from the wound. The pain felt familiar, as if it had never left him, despite the numbness of before. It was then that he realised that rather than not having felt any pain he had felt too much, and so his body had held it back and rationed it as a form of defence.

Due to his temporary inability to think or focus properly on the world around him before, Sasori had missed the remaining exchange between the two blondes on the other side of the hill. Their argument paled into insignificance though in light of the realization that had caused his recent alarm.

Deidara was…

…_alive._  


* * *

!Finito!  
:)

Yay, that was a fairly fast chapter actually, despite my recent laziness. :)

-Ah, the CNS (central nervous system) is something we learnt in science last year. I kind of took for granted that everyone would know what it meant because I did...but that was perhaps a little too naive of me.  
Um, well, I'm not going to explain it all - but it's an important part of your nervous system (which controls movement and feeling (touch)) and is located in the brain (although the spine is also part of it).  
So in this context Sasori is metaphorically likening his numbness (lack of movement and feeling (touch)) to a sword cutting through his central nervous system and thus cutting off his ability to move and feel.

Right, trying to think of something useful to say...  
...Ah, holidays!  
It's the holidays and, like most people, I'm going to leave my home for a bit and try and work off my stress. (-phew-).  
Unfortunately I'm camping in the Lake District so I won't be able to take my laptop. Thus I can't write. I probably wouldn't bother informing you guys if it was just one week - but it's actually three! (ahaha, we're not going to live through it...:S).  
So the next chapter will be a lot later - sorry!

(More excuses on profile again...)

ANYWAY. Back to the present...  
...Please review! I really love reviews! A writer lives off reviews!  
(and I'm still quite dejected at the response for my last chapter...D':)

Have fun until I see you next!  
Much love,  
WfCP  
xxx


	20. Captive

Hi all!!

Finally I managed to finish it! I'm sorry it took so long but I've been on holiday for most of it and then I had to settle into year eleven and the new load of homework it bought with it. It's only just sinking in that I only have two terms left before my GCSEs!

I know this chapter is quite long, but I've made a chapter summary for each chapter and I want to stick to it so I had to fit everything in the summary into this chapter.

I only managed to finish this today because I've been ill with a cold, which has given me some extra time. I'll be going back to school tomorrow though because I feel better and it's only a half-day anyway.

Ah, I hope it hasn't been so long that you've forgotten which fanfic this is…!  
If so, would you mind terribly skimming through some earlier chapters and refreshing your memories? I always find that I can enjoy a story more if I know what they're talking about, lol.

Anyway I love you all so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter!!

* * *

Due to his temporary inability to think or focus properly on the world around him before, Sasori had missed the remaining exchange between the two blondes on the other side of the hill. Their argument paled into insignificance though in light of the realization that had caused his recent alarm.

Deidara was…

…_alive._

* * *

'Hm? What was fun, little woman? What did he do to you?'

The voice was gruff but Ino didn't recognise the owner. She was too numb to turn around and look - but even if she had done it was unlikely that she would have been able to see anything due to the multitude of tears blurring her vision.

Footsteps warned her that the man who had spoken was approaching, but Ino could only hope that he meant no harm because she was in no position to protect herself then. He continued advancing, the crunch of the grass underfoot the only indication Ino had of his distance from her. She estimated that he must have been less than two meters away when he was stopped by someone shouting.

'Let me go! Let me go! _Let me _go_!_'

This voice was different. It was clearer than the other one and with a higher pitch as well, although that could have been because the person was distressed. It also sounded like a man. There must have been struggling because the man standing behind Ino retreated as if to help restrain the captive.

Ino's tears had stopped and now she tried to summon the energy to get up and run away before he came back. When she attempted to stand however she fell back down again. Not only was her mind numb but her body was too. Wiping her tears away Ino let her arms fall back to her sides and clenched her hands into fists. She felt so _useless_!

**No wonder Deidara left me. No wonder he said he didn't love me.**

There was a cry from behind her and Ino managed to turn her head some way, although not quite far enough.

'Sasori-san, come back!' Shouted the same gruff voice she had heard before and Ino watched in surprise as she saw the familiar figure of the red-headed puppet master run past her; his running was irregular though as if he wasn't completely in control or couldn't see where he was going.

It had been a while since Ino had seen him but she could immediately tell that he had changed or wasn't himself anymore. His voice earlier (Ino assumed that he had been the captive) had also been different, as if something had snapped. Sasori had always been in control, so what had made him change?.

**What's happening? What's happening to the world? It's turning upside down and inside out. Am I even in the same world?…Universe? Did I slip through a rift in space? Am I in a parallel universe? A parallel world?**

Ino followed Sasori with her eyes but, before he could even reach the next rise, the air in front of him seemed to shimmer and then there was someone in front of him. This man also wore the Akatsuki cloak and, to Ino's horror, she realised that she knew who he was.

**Uchiha Itachi.**

Sasori tried to dodge the pale man in front of him but ended up tripping and falling, only to be caught by said man and hauled upwards into a standing position in front of him. Even from where Ino was sitting it was obvious that Sasori was tensed, ready for a fight. Logically thinking them fighting would be good for her as she thought that she could then sneak away unnoticed, but a movement to her right caused her to reconsider her plan. Standing there was another Akatsuki member - but this time she didn't recognise him.

Unlike Sakura, who took her work more seriously and had researched the Akatsuki to some degree, Ino had done just what was necessary and only knew Itachi because he looked so similar to Sasuke. The man who resembled a shark to her right however was a complete mystery. He scared her.

A flurry of movement back where the other two Akatsuki members were standing caused Ino to redirect her attention to the spot. It looked as if Sasori had tried to run again but had failed and was now kneeling on the floor in front of Itachi, his slight body shaking involuntarily as if Itachi had hit a pressure point.

Although Ino would never have thought it before she realised that she was disappointed that Sasori had lost; had she really been subconsciously cheering for him?

**The known danger is feared less than the unknown one though, so I shouldn't really be all that surprised.**

'Kisame,' Itachi said blandly, his voice much clearer than the first voice Ino had heard and thus leading her to assume that it had been 'Kisame' who had spoken to start with. Come to think of it, she had heard that name before; Hoshigaki Kisame. Where? Why?

'Eh, Itachi-san?' The Shark-nin to Ino's right replied readily, obediently walking forward as he waited for what Itachi wanted to say. Ino saw then that he had a large, bandage-wrapped sword on his back. Why did someone that strong (in order to wield the sword, and also his build suggested it) follow the orders of someone smaller and less powerful-looking like Itachi? Why did he appear to be happy with the arrangements?

'Go after Deidara. I'll take care of things here. When you find him take him back to the river and I'll meet you there.'

Sasori remained on the floor but Ino could see that his shaking had died down and almost subsided now - was he beginning to come back to his senses?

Kisame, after a brief moment of hesitation, nodded his agreement before bending his body into a running stance (with his arms straight out behind him) and taking off past Itachi. He was a fast runner but Ino expected that his sword was slowing him down, although not enough to hinder him significantly.

She watched until he ran behind one of the hills and was out of sight before returning her attention to the other men. Neither of them had appeared to move in the time she had been distracted, which was good because it made her feel more secure.

'Let me go after him,' Sasori finally spoke up. Although his voice wasn't loud like before the wind had calmed down and his voice carried well in the relative stillness. Itachi refused to look at him and didn't reply either; Ino wondered if he had even heard.

'I'll take your lack of response as a 'yes' then,'' Sasori continued, equally as blankly; Ino thought that his lack of emotion was probably due to him having been worn out from his fit of before. When Itachi continued to refuse to acknowledge his existence Sasori shifted and then stood up. He still had his back to Ino so she couldn't see his face and she found herself wondering which of the two missing nin's were currently displaying less emotion. Although it was the type of 'game' she might have laughed at before, Ino realised that it was no longer funny.

The next flurry of movements was too hard for Ino to follow well but she assumed that Sasori had tried to pass Itachi and had been attacked. Sasori had managed to block this attack though and now they stood facing each other still, Itachi's arm held firmly at bay just in front of Sasori's neck. The Uchiha's face, Ino saw, was showing the first real signs of emotion she had seen so far from him - and it was not a pleasant one. He looked angry.

Sasori's hold wavered for a moment under the pressure being applied to it and so he let go, using the extra force as an aid to send him flying backwards. He landed just over a metre away from Ino, in front of her and to her left, and briefly glanced over his shoulder at her.

Ino met his eyes for a moment to see that he appeared to be in control now; it looked as if he was calculating something. His face, too, was letting no emotion slip - just as usual. Although he had returned his distrusting gaze back to Itachi Ino found herself a little unnerved by the fact that he had even bothered to look at her; **Am I part of his plan? What is he thinking of doing?**

'Ino,' Sasori spoke mildly, refusing to look at her as he did so. Ino warily fixed her eyes onto his back but, just as she was about to prompt him, he continued, 'Do you really like Deidara?' Surprised, Ino wasn't sure how to reply. 'Do you want him back safely?'

'Leave her out of this, Sasori,' Itachi interjected coldly, but Sasori didn't listen.

'If that's a 'yes' then I suggest you co-operate with me. Kisame has very little regard for human life and the chances of him actively trying to keep my partner alive is slim. I, however-'

'Sasori…' Itachi interrupted warningly, taking a step forward and forcing Sasori to take a step back. Ino wondered whether she, too, should retreat because Sasori was now less than a metre away and it made her uncomfortable because she didn't know where he was going with his words. Not trusting her legs though she refrained.

'I, however,' Sasori continued more forcibly, returning Itachi's warning to be quiet, 'have reason to want Deidara alive.' He paused as if to let the words sink in and Ino remembered that he had said something like that before, back in her house; _'__it would be an inconvenience to have to find another partner. That is why I stick with him. Getting another partner to acknowledge me as he does…it would be tiring and unnecessary.__'_

'Wh-what are you getting at?' Ino managed to ask, her voice a little shaky from lack of use.

'I want you to help me,' was the simple answer, accompanied with a rather benign smile. 'We originally came to kill you - but in light of new developments I've changed my mind. If you help me I'll spare you. That's a fair deal, right?'

**They came to kill me? They didn't come to get Deidara back? What new developments is he talking about? I don't understand.**

'Yamanaka Ino ka.'

Ino's eyes snapped over to the right upon hearing Itachi say her name. He was watching her intently and she couldn't help but freeze at the look. His voice seemed to have taken on a new note, a new tone - as if his intentions had suddenly changed. She didn't like it; it was too soft, too fake.

'You do realise he's lying don't you? Sasori was the one who suggested chasing after you in the first place - why should he suddenly change his mind when we have no further use of you?'

Ino couldn't pretend that she liked the attention she was now being given; it was as if they were both trying to convince her to side with them although she could see no feasible reason why they should want that. It wasn't as if she was powerful or carrying something of any great importance (especially considering all she was wearing were scrubs and a white hospital gown).

Glancing at Sasori, as much to avoid Itachi's gaze as anything else, Ino saw that he looked very calm in face of the allegations made against him.

'That's simple, isn't it?' Sasori finally replied, his eyes bored; 'I still have a use for you.'

Ino expected Itachi to look put out at this because it made such perfect sense but he refused to display what he was feeling. Was that because he was trying to think of a good comeback, or was it just not beneficial for him to make the effort at that time. Weirdly enough, even through their differences, Ino found herself beginning to see similarities between the two; for one, they both had to have a reason to act.

'Oh - but if you refuse to make yourself useful then I will no longer have any incentive to keep you alive, right?' Sasori added with an air of such perfect indifference that Ino was convinced it must have been faked.

The threat irritated Ino though because she realised that she would have to give into it, not wanting to lose her life and all. What did 'giving into it' entail though?

Opening her mouth Ino nevertheless shut it again a second or two later; what should she say? In the end she rather shakily stood up instead. To her surprise she didn't fall back down again and so gauged that most of the numbness must have left - now she was just stiff from having been crouched for so long on the ground.

Sasori had turned by now so that he could see both of his 'companions', forming an isosceles triangle (Ino and him were closer to each other than Itachi). In response to Ino's rising he merely raised an eyebrow. Itachi though began to walk forwards towards them, only just deciding that he was too far away to perhaps do anything of use.

Noticing Itachi's advancement Ino glanced at Sasori to see that he had tensed again, his eyes hard. She was tempted to run because she feared another fight - one which she might actually be involved in this time - but knew that if she couldn't escape from the two Akatsuki members normally then she wouldn't be able to now.

With several movements so fast she couldn't follow Ino saw with a sinking heart that what she had dreaded was taking place. They were only a meter away at most and somehow resembled their earlier position; Itachi holding a kunai to Sasori's heart and Sasori firmly keeping his arm at bay.

This time though, to her dismay, she was not to play the part of an innocent bystander.

'Oh, Ino-kun?' She heard Sasori ask in an innocent tone and with far too much endearment for her liking. Even so, in light of his earlier threat, she did not complain about it; she did not answer either. 'You know I wanted you to do somethi-'

He was cut off by Itachi's other hand coming to forcefully slap him on the face. Not able to intercept it in time Sasori winced, a slight crack now visible in the normally malleable wood. He expected the hand to retreat in order to execute another attack but instead it moved to cover his mouth.

'I told you not to involve her, hn.'

Annoyed and smarting from the hit Sasori jerked back from the hand, still gripping the one holding the kunai, and now bought his other hand up to grab Itachi's wrist.

'Yeah, and who are you?' Sasori growled in response, hatred pouring unchecked through every part of his being; 'My _conscience_?'

Ino recoiled from the tone of his voice but Itachi didn't even flinch; **Sasori didn't seem this emotional before. It's as if a barrier is being broken down, allowing short spurts of feelings out. It's weird because I feel as if I'm hearing more than I should do - as if I'm hearing his thoughts.**

After a moment or two Sasori's breathing radically calmed down and Ino realised that she had been tensed; **why?** It was so confusing. She didn't know what to do.

'Run.'

It was Sasori who had spoken, although she didn't know who he was talking to. He no longer sounded angry - more worn out - and Ino thought it looked like he was having trouble matching Itachi's strength.

'I don't like keeping people waiting Ino and I'm running out of time - so make your mind up already or I'll kill you. Now _run_!'

It was sudden and unexpected because Ino had though the 'help' he needed might be something more like helping him fight Itachi - but this option was better for her, wasn't it? And even if he couldn't kill her right at that moment she was almost certain he would keep his promise sooner or later.

Thus, her heart pounding loudly and her mind whirring fearfully (trying to work out what Sasori's plan might be), she turned and ran. There was very little question as to which way he had wanted her to run and so she ran away from them, back towards where she imagined the forest leading back to Konohagakure was. For a moment she wondered if he wanted her to fetch help of some kind or if he was just letting her go to spite Itachi - but she thought those options unlikely; after all, who would she fetch?

There were words exchanged behind her but she was so concentrated on running that they missed her. The tone sounded triumphant though and so she assumed it was Sasori; what did he have to boast of though?

Still slightly stiff Ino couldn't run anywhere near her full speed and was tempted to glance over her shoulder to see what was going on behind her. Someone called something but she was already too far away to hear over the wind which had picked up again. Then there was a disturbance in the air currents in front of her and Ino faltered mid-run; was there something there that she hadn't seen?

The air shimmered and then, before she knew what was happening, she had hit into something and fallen backwards onto her bottom. Raising her eyes it was immediately obvious as to what she had run into - or, more precisely, _who_.

Itachi had descended to her level before she could fully comprehend the situation and, once she had pulled her legs in to her chest to give herself an illusion of safety, she saw that he had moved closer. She had forced hugs upon his younger brother frequently in earlier years, but she had never thought she would ever be close enough to his brother to touch him.

'Wh-what do you w-want?' She stammered, partly out of breath and partly scared; it had only just occurred to her that Itachi hadn't said he wouldn't kill her like Sasori had.

He seemed cold - much colder than the air around them - and Ino made sure not to look at his eyes for fear of being caught in a powerful genjutsu. Where was Sasori? Shouldn't he be protecting her?

**But he only promised to not kill me himself. Oh, how stupid I've been! I was fooled by his convincing tone and words, only to be killed barely two minutes later!**

Eyes wide Ino tried to get as far away from Itachi as possible, shuffling backwards unevenly and to little avail. The cloak disappeared from her vision to be replaced by a warm feeling against her back. Frozen she sat on the ground like a statue, her hair blowing in the cool desert breeze. It was queer, she thought, that Itachi should feel so warm against her when his character was so cold.

An arm wrapping around her middle and another holding a kunai to her throat made her feel surrounded and helpless; was that what he intended? Was that fair, she wondered, to make someone feel like that before they died? Was she allowed one last, dying wish?

Hot breath on her neck contrasted greatly with the cold breath of the wind and Ino tensed even more; **if I become any more stiff I'll break!** Was he going to give a taunting 'you've lost' speech like she'd heard of? Then again wouldn't that be cocky, considering they had hardly 'fought'?

'I'm,' she heard him whisper in her ear before pausing to see if she'd heard him. Giving the slightest of nods Ino encouraged him to continue; **but why am I speeding up my own demise?**

'I'm not going to kill you,' he completed calmly, 'so relax, hn. I'll explain details later but for now you will do as I say because you're weak. Okay?'

With his statement being correct Ino knew she was in no position to argue with him and so she nodded again. In fact she was truly very relieved that he had decided not to kill her, and was not at all put out that the details had to wait until later.

**If he wasn't going to kill me though then why didn't he say so before? That was ****the only reason I sided with Sasori, so I suppose he could have saved himself a lot of trouble.**

The strong feeling of relief served as an effective dampener of her hunter senses but it also enhanced certain others which she had so far pushed aside as unimportant. Ino had noticed how warm Itachi was before but had thought little of it - now though she couldn't help thinking that it felt nice to be sheltered from the wind by him.

**Is that wrong of me, to think like that? It probably hasn't even crossed his mind. Shouldn't I be missing Deidara though? Shouldn't I…**Here Ino paused, unsure as to how to continue. She _did_ miss Deidara…but that didn't change the fact that she was glad of Itachi's warmth. Did that make her a traitor?

**Am I really so detestable?**

…**It's really no wonder why Deidara ran away.**

* * *

_Tick, tick, tick, tick_.

_Tick, tick, tick, tick_.

Tsunade glared at the clock on the wall, watching the seconds pass by with an aura of gloom surrounding her. She should really be busy, but there wasn't much she could do now but wait for more reports. There was always paperwork, of course, but somehow she felt even less enthusiastic about that than usual - and this time Shizune wasn't there to force her to start.

Chin resting on her entwined hands and elbows resting on the only free space on her desk, Tsunade sighed and flicked her eyes over to the door. Although she hadn't wanted to be Hokage to start with she had gradually realised that she was well suited to the job; sure the paperwork may be a bother, but she always kept a level head when making decisions and had the air of authority to pull it off. What really bothered her was the waiting though. The job suited her because she liked to be _doing_ stuff, not sitting around just _waiting_.

'Naruto…' she muttered, disheartened, turning her chair to stare out of the high windows behind her. It was dusk now; the town looked pretty at dusk. '…what am I going to do with you, eh?'

She missed him and his smiling face constantly arguing, complaining and annoying her. She missed his enthusiasm too, but she had had little choice as to locking him up. At first she had stood up for him and fought his case but gradually the city elders had corroded her resistance and broken it down. She had come around to see it their way in the end - that it was safer to have him locked up, safer for everyone - but now she saw that it had been quite the opposite. Not only had it angered Naruto and (she speculated) probably turned him against the town, but now it appeared to have put the citizens in danger too.

'I'm so foolish,' she whispered, gently placing her head in her hands and staring at her lap. Perhaps the job of Hokage wasn't right for her. Perhaps she had been flattering herself with such thoughts.

'It would suit Naruto better. He wouldn't allow himself to get depressed over something like this, would he?' She sighed again, dropping her hands and looking back out at the rows and rows of houses in front of her. 'He wouldn't have let it get so out of control, would he?'

Tapping her fingers on the arm rest meditatively she watched as the lights began to blink on in the town. It was quite peaceful actually, watching the warm golden squares spread from house to house. She used to sit and watch them in her early years of being Hokage, when everything was still so new to her, but she hadn't looked out the window like this for a long while now. Instead she always turned to the sake bottle, standing empty now on her desk.

A loud knock sounded in the stillness, causing Tsunade to jump in surprise before turning her chair to face the door again. Her heartbeat was stilling and so she opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by the knocking again. Irritation beginning to replace the peace she had just felt, Tsunade barked a harsh greeting and the door slowly opened to reveal a timid young woman standing there. She was dressed in the standard uniform of a Konohagakure nurse and Tsunade frowned, not sure she had ever seen her before. She looked scared.

Quickly bowing, the woman apologised for disturbing the Hokage and introduced herself. She was carrying a message on behalf of the staff at the hospital that they were short on medics. Sakura had not appeared for a day or two now, Ino only very briefly that morning after recovering from her cold and Shizune had disappeared also. Was everyone okay, she wanted to know, and could anyone be spared to help them out? Apparently a particularly nasty cold was being passed around now and the hospital was overflowing with ill citizens.

At some other time Tsunade might have found the report more interesting, but now it seemed to be just a background noise, paling in comparison to others she had heard recently.

'We're fine,' she lied naturally, easily reassuring the nurse. 'Just a little busy at the moment. If I see Shizune I'll send her over, alright?'

The woman nodded. She looked in her very early twenties, Tsunade noticed and so sighed; how she wished she could be like that woman - with so little responsibility, so little hardship, so little importance.

'Good luck with the cold,' Tsunade added. 'Work hard.'

The woman bowed herself out of the door, thanking the Hokage for her help, and Tsunade listened as her feet sounded on the floor outside. The sound faded and soon there was just the clock to comfort her, the ticking providing something constant for her to cling to.

Perhaps people might find time depressing because it symbolised that there was an end to things and that everyone would have to die at some point, but Tsunade saw that there were two sides to it. One was the aforementioned reason of there being an end to everything, but there was also the thought that time was eternal; that no matter what happened, what came, what passed, what stayed or what changed time would always be the same, ticking on forever - a constant.

It was comforting. Her life didn't matter in the grand scheme of things for she was nothing compared to nature or to time which would always be there. Then what she said, did, saw, thought or wanted didn't matter. In the end, nobody mattered.

The door opened without anyone knocking first and Tsunade blinked to see an out-of-breath Shizune standing before her, another note waving in her hand. Somehow she was relieved to see her. Despite thinking that her life didn't really matter Tsunade still reveled in the enjoyment of it and she didn't like to be alone.

'Tsunade-sama!' Shizune gasped as soon as she was able to speak again. The Hokage signaled for her to continue, holding her hand out for the note.

'We've just received a letter from Suna.' Her voice was calmer now that she had regained her breath and Tsunade was relieved that nothing major had happened. She could even guess what was written before she read the note.

'It was coded, but not urgent,' Shizune continued, 'we estimated it was sent less than two days ago.'

Tsunade nodded, not really listening as she scanned the contents of the note. It read;

_Dear Tsunade,_

_Thank you for you note and the lease of your ANBU troops to us. They were a great help. We would have sent them back earlier but other matters came up to distract us from the orders. I have sent them out this morning and, additionally, I have also sent some of the finest of our ninja to help with your predicament. Please accept their help as an apology for delaying the return of your own ninja and I hope they arrive in time._

_My sincere apologies and wishing you and Konoha well-being,_

_Kazekage.  
__Gaara._

'Ahh,' Tsunade sighed, leaning back in her chair and dropping the note onto the table. Shizune stood in front of the desk expectantly, waiting for the Hokage's verdict. 'Very well. They should be here in the day or two then. I guess that'll have to do.' Her sentences were short, although not intentionally. 'Shizune,' she started again, suddenly remembering something. Shizune immediately stood to attention.

'Hai?'

'They need help at the hospital - some sort of flu outburst or something - so I said I'd send you down.' Although it was more of a statement than an order Shizune seemed to understand what the Hokage was getting at and so bowed.

'Hai! I understand.'

Then she was gone. Tsunade stared after her blankly before closing her eyes and gently pressing her fingers to her temples. She thought she might be getting a headache.

After a few moments of stillness though she began to feel restless. Annoyed, she dropped her hand.  
_How silly_, she thought, _after all the work I have to do I should welcome the rest, right? Instead I can't even sit still!  
_She sighed again before getting up from her chair altogether.

'Time for a walk,' she decided.

* * *

The stars looked more beautiful than usual Kakashi thought as he stood staring up at them. Then again that might just be because he didn't usually look at them. The only reason he was doing so tonight was because he was worried. They hadn't seen anything suspicious so far, but it seemed to him as if the Akatsuki were suddenly becoming a lot more active. What was their purpose, their goal?

'Are they still after Naruto?'

His voice had been quiet, hardly audible, but he saw Sai raise his head at the sound anyway. For all his misgivings Sai really was a sharp kid, Kakashi mused.

They had finished running for today and had just set up camp. The village - Keikoto - was nestled in the valley to their right, less than three hundred meters away. They had decided to do the scouting tomorrow though and so rest tonight.

The campfire was burning, emitting a soft, golden glow and casting shadows around the seated members of the enlarged team. Kakashi was also confused about the amount of ninjas that had been sent on the mission. A report on the Akatsuki was serious business and missions had been short on supply lately, but still it seemed a little extravagant in numbers. Normally a three-man team would have been sufficient.

_Maybe, in light of Chouji's death (on a scounting mission similar to this one), Tsunade has decided to make sure no one else gets hurt. Sometimes she can be too cautious in one area and completely neglect another. I hope the village is okay._

Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted by Sai glancing at him and then moving closer; could the pale boy read thoughts as well? Kakashi eyed him with casual wariness. On the other side of the fire Lee and Gai were doing their evening exercises, their clear voices ringing out across the clearing as they counted their one-handed press-ups. Neji and Tenten were quietly discussing something with each other over to Kakashi's left and on the opposite side of the fire from them the sleeping mats and roll-up blankets were already set up.

'Kakashi-sempai,' a blank voice murmured from his right and Kakashi flicked his eyes back to Sai who was now sitting about a foot away. 'Do you mind if I tell you something?'

'No, should I?'

Sai shrugged. 'When we were leaving Konoha I thought I saw some shadows in the trees by the path. They were black with a flash of red, but I didn't think to mention it before now.' Seeing Kakashi's eye, which was wider than usual, he ventured, 'Is it important?'

_Really - he may be observant but he isn't very good at piecing things together, is he? Black and red…and with the reports we've had recently…  
_Didn't it occur to you that they might have been Akatsuki?'

Sai blinked in reply. The silence lasted a few moments before he responded properly.  
'I did wonder…but I thought I might have been mistaken.'

Kakashi allowed himself a few seconds of exasperation before calming down and turning his head so that he was looking into the fire again. The flames were calming, the warmth they emitting making everything seem much better than it actually was.

'I suppose it can't be helped,' he muttered finally. 'We'll finish our mission here before going back; we aren't far anyway and it shouldn't take long. Tsunade is a strong leader. She'll know what to do.'

Satisfied, Sai gave a small nod before standing up and walking over to a large pile of twigs, throwing some onto the fire and making it spark. Kakashi sighed. He would be first on watch that night and so had plenty of time to think about what Sai had just told him. Why couldn't the boy have said something whilst they were still in Konoha? They could have alerted Tsunade and gotten orders on the matter. He would have felt a lot more comfortable with that arrangement than having to make the call himself like he was doing now.

Still, perhaps it was better this way. He had said that Tsunade was a strong leader but she was human too, and all humans had a certain amount of frailty. Plus, he never liked to be the one to tell Tsunade the bad news. It hurt more than just emotionally.

As Gai and Lee finished their exercises and Neji and Tenten's talk came to an end Kakashi announced that he would take first watch and so the others slowly made their way to bed; tomorrow's scouting was not a particularly hard mission and so rest was not as important as on some missions. Sai also laid down on his mat, the cover only loosely draped over him; It was a warm night after all, especially with the fire blazing.

Normally they wouldn't have risked a fire, but they were near civilisation and so didn't think it would matter so much. Besides, Kakashi was almost certain that there was no longer any Akatsuki members here. He had been expecting to see them whilst travelling but he realised that they must have missed them.

_Tsunade, I hope you know what you're doing. For now I'm trusting you, following your orders, but I think you're beginning to crack.  
_'And then I might have to take matters into my own hands.'

* * *

The cool, refreshing, early night air had served to rid Tsunade of her headache and she felt much better about having left her office. There was a risk that she might miss a report but she had already decided on where she was going and what she had to do.

The medic asking for help at the hospital had reminded her of Sakura's disappearance, discovered earlier when she had sent the teams out on the scouting mission. Now she was going to find her.

The first port of call was Sakura's house - just over a mile from the hospital. When she got there the lights were on and she was glad; at least someone was at home. Since Sakura lived with her parents Tsunade wasn't surprised to be greeted by her apprentice's father.

'Ah, Hokage! Do come inside!' She hesitated, not really sure if she should or not. It wasn't that she mistrusted them, but if Sakura wasn't there then she didn't want to be wasting time. 'To what do we owe this honour?' He continued respectfully.

'Ah, is Sakura here I wonder?' Tsunade replied, remaining firmly planted on the doorstep as she waited for an answer. It wasn't long in coming.

'Ah, no, sorry. We haven't seen her since yesterday morning actually. We assumed she was staying at a friend's house - like Ino's. Ino's house is nearer the hospital so she sometimes stays over if the day has been rough.'

'Well didn't she ring you?' Tsunade snapped, her voice sharper than she'd meant it to be because of her worry; Sakura hadn't been at the hospital, so how could she have had a rough day? Sakura's father looked surprised at the outburst and from further inside the house a soft, feminine voice floated out to them;

'Hmm dear? Who is it?'

For a moment he glanced over his shoulder and Tsunade sighed. 'Hey I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rough…'

The male in front of her jumped at her apology.  
'Huh? Oh! There's no need to apologise, Hokage-sama! I'm not at all offended.'

He appeared genuine and so Tsunade relaxed slightly. Despite spending a lot of time with Sakura she couldn't remember ever talking to her parents much. They seemed like really nice people though and she regretted not having enough time to speak to them more.

Sakura's mother had appeared into the hallway now, a damp dishcloth in her slight hands. She looked really frail, but her smile held great warmth.  
'Oh, Hokage-sama, how nice to see you! Would you like to come in? I've just brewed some tea and you're welcome to have some if you'd like.'

'Ah – no thankyou,' Tsunade replied a little awkwardly. They were both such nice people that she felt bad about rejecting their offer, but she really had to find Sakura so that she could return to her office before any more reports came in. 'I really have to be on my way actually – I'm quite busy at the moment you see.'

To her surprise her excuse sounded lame, even though it was true. 'Perhaps I'll come by some other time,' she offered quickly and received two genuinely happy smiles in response.

'Oh, that would be lovely!' Sakura's mother voiced readily before saying goodbye, wishing her well and returning to pour the tea and return the dishcloth to its rightful place.

There was a small pause after she had gone. Then Tsunade spoke up, realizing that she was probably making their house cold by having him keep the door open for her.

'Ah, I should go then. Ino's house did you say?'

He nodded and also said his farewells and 'goodlucks'. Tsunade left with a heavy heart; she realised that she didn't even know their names.

_Then again, I did agree to meet with them some other time, and I can always ask Sakura their names when I find her to avoid embarrassing myself in front of her family. Hahaha, she'll probably think me very silly for not knowing, but I don't really mind._ Tsunade smiled softly,_ I can always hit her if she says anything anyway._

It didn't take long to get to Ino's house as it was less than a mile away and Tsunade had been there once before when Ino had broken her leg falling down the stairs. She remembered thinking then that Ino had been 'such an airhead', but it didn't seem particularly funny now that she was gone. Her flirtatious behavior had never amounted to much and so Tsunade had ignored it (what's wrong with a little fun anyway?), but now it had suddenly gone too far.

_Oh Ino, didn't you realize he was wrong? Didn't you realize he was bad?_

Where had her parents been anyway? At first it had taken all she had to accept the information that she had left, but now the small details were beginning to nag at her. Had she sent them on a mission, Ino's parents? Then what of Sakura? If she had been staying at Ino's then why hadn't she got involved?

Suddenly Tsunade froze, right in front of the Yamanaka's Ikebana shop's front door. Maybe Sakura _had_ got involved.

The door was open in less than a second, even though it had been locked, and the wind chime tinkled brightly above her head. Agitated, the metallic noise startled Tsunade and she instinctively ripped it from the ceiling and dropped it on the floor. After a moment of musical glory it clanged as it hit the floor and fell silent.

'Kusou,' she swore. Anyway, she was Hokage so that didn't matter.

The floor was damp, as if it had been covered in water not too long ago; had someone been here washing the floor? It seemed strange to her, that, because it hadn't even been done properly. Even some of the plants in pots on the floor looked like they had been drowned; had it been flooded?

Making her way to the door that led to the living quarters Tsunade saw that the flowers looked unkempt and were wilting. It was a sad sight to see Konoha's best flower shop in ruin like that. Tsunade frowned, clenching her hands into fists to try and control her nerves.

Some of the last flowers she past had strange blotches on them which looked unnatural. Peering closer she could see that it was a dark, sticky liquid of sorts that had dried only recently. The smell was concealed by the flowers' own unique smells, but with a start Tsunade realised that it was blood. She had seen too much blood in her lifetime for it to be anything else.

Pulling back she saw that the blood only affected the plants higher up and she understood then why the floor looked as if it had been flooded. Someone had been killed here and the murderer had tried to cover it up by washing the blood away. With the height level the water had managed to reach it was also likely that it had been a jutsu. Immediately her thoughts turned to the Akatsuki; they seemed to be appearing everywhere she looked now.

Taking a deep breath she forced herself to continue, quickly checking the back room and seeing that nothing looked amiss. The stairs were also clean and, if she tried to forget about what she had seen downstairs it looked almost normal. Of course she had never visited Ino in the night so it didn't look quite same as she remembered it being, but that was natural. Also she thought that there used to be a plant pot at the top of the stairs but it had been replaced by empty space now.

The whole house felt empty and Tsunade was getting pretty certain that Sakura wouldn't be there. In fact, she was fairly certain that _no one _was there. Still, something pressed her to continue and search every room just to be sure.

The first room she checked was Ino's parents' room as it was the one nearest the head of the stairs and she was being methodical about her task because it helped to calm her down that way. As she expected there was nothing amiss there. The bed looked as if it had been slept in recently because it hadn't been made and the window was open, occasionally creaking as it was gently pushed this way and that by the wind.

Leaving that room and making her way to the next one Tsunade recognized it as Ino's room from the childish handwriting on the door; '_my room'_. It was a weird shaped room with the bed being hidden around a corner and Tsunade remembered that the last time she had been in this room she had wondered where Ino was; then Ino had called from her bed and made her jump. She smiled a little bitterly; why couldn't Ino have broken her leg again instead of running off with an S-class criminal?

Her hand now took the handle and opened it, dispelling the past images from her mind and replacing them with the dark, bleak looking room of now. There was no way anyone was in there, right? Then the smell hit her.

It was a horrible smell and one she was also very used to. Being a medic she had had to deal with many infected cuts and wounds but there was always the clinical smell of cleaning agents to counter it. Here there was none. Instead it was as if the whole room was infected – as if the smell was seeping from the walls and making her gag.

'Oh God,' she gasped unwilling and then she shut the door. For while the smell still lingered but then it cleared, thinning out into the clean air.

_What the hell?_

She didn't want to admit it but she knew that that was the smell of a dead corpse. She had been to the morgue several times, but even that had had a better smell. Perhaps being kept in the room with the window shut had sped up the decaying stage. Covering her mouth and nose with her hand Tsunade took a deep breath and tried again.

This time she was ready for the smell when she opened the door and she was able to enter the room. She would have liked to run in and out as quickly as possible but this was now a crime scene and she didn't want to disturb anything; could this be where the bodies from downstairs were?

Rounding the corner Tsunade bit her lip, expecting to find the mutilated cadavers of Ino's parents. Instead she saw only one body. It was laying the wrong way on the bed, legs and feet dropping off the end. The clothes, although coated in blood, greatly worried Tsunade because they looked a lot like someone she knew. So did the figure and curve of her legs. Moving closer although she hardly dared to, her breath caught in her throat, Tsunade lifted her eyes to see the rest of the corpse.

In the diluted moonlight filtering through the glass into the room it was easy to see that, despite the effects of the blood, it had pink hair. Then there was no doubt about it.

It was Sakura.

* * *

Ok, I hope you enjoyed it! It took me a while to write but I've got the chapter summary for the next one and hopefully I can get that one out quicker!

Also I can't think of a title for this chapter so if you have any ideas could you please review? I'll also be thinking of a name but I guess I'm just a bit low on idearium. I love to have reader input so any suggestions will be welcome!D

Please review! It really makes my day and I love to hear what you think of my writing (I'm always looking for chances to improve it).

Anyway, I'll keep my profile updated but, until next time,

Lov'ya,  
WfCP  
xxxx


	21. Why?

Hi!

I'm really proud of myself - I've gotten a chapter out in less than two weeks since the last one! I know this used to be habit but I haven't done it for a while. Perhaps it's a good omen for getting chapters out sooner in the future too!D

Ok, anyway, since nobody suggested a name for chapter twenty I'll think of one myself and post it up sometime.

Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

In the diluted moonlight filtering through the glass into the room it was easy to see that, despite the effects of the blood, it had pink hair. Then there was no doubt about it.

It was Sakura.

* * *

Evening was a time for thoughtful silences and reminiscing, Shikamaru decided as he slowly ambled along a deserted street. He was in a quiet part of town, having spent several hours walking beforehand. He wasn't sure where he was going but that didn't really bother him. All he wanted was to be alone and think anyway - and his mother was at home (he had been too lazy to find his own place).

_Ino…what were you thinking?_

Shikamaru had never considered Ino to be very clever although he had enjoyed her company and it frustrated him that he couldn't understand why she had left. Had she been forced? It was the only logical reason he could think of, but why would they take her? It also frustrated him that he hadn't been able to stop them.

He wasn't like Naruto - blindly running after people based solely on his feelings - because he preferred to think things through first and was normally on the back line, making the plans and coming up with tactics. Now though he wished he was more impulsive. If he had gone to see her earlier instead of thinking so long about what to say to her then he might have been able to prevent her kidnapping.

'Kusou,' he hissed through his teeth, clenching his hands into fists. He really didn't want to lose _both_ team members. What if Ino died? Just like Chouji and Asuma…

…_I would be the only one left of team Asuma!_

The thought scared him. It made him feel as if he was living a new life, somewhere very far away. His past was drifting further and further away from him and yet he was powerless to stop it.

He halted his steps for a minute or two to calm himself down, gradually relaxing his muscles until he was confident that the feeling of despair and insecurity had vanished.

Lifting his head Shikamaru realised that he wasn't far from the graveyard where Asuma had been buried. Face blank, he decided to pay him a visit; _and then I'll tell Kurenai about Ino. I don't want to hurt her but I hesitated with Ino and lost her. I don't want to lose Kurenai too._

It didn't take long to reach the cemetery as his pace was brisk now he had an idea of where he was going. Whilst he walked his mind turned to Temari and how he hadn't seen her for a while. They hadn't spoken lately either, not even on the phone. Was that his fault? It wasn't as if he was desperately busy, but he supposed that he had been occupied with trying to find a part time job; something his parents had suggested as he hadn't been on many missions lately.

_I wonder how she is,_ he thought pensively, smiling as he remembered her face. _Maybe I should pay her a surprise visit in Suna sometime._ That bought him back to Ino though and how he couldn't leave in case something else happened. The smile faded.

Asuma's grave didn't have many flowers on it although it had done soon after his death. Gradually, over time, people had stopped visiting him and now it looked pitiful. Surprisingly though, as Shikamaru had expected a private chat, there was somebody already there, kneeling beside the grave. It was Kurenai, and in her hand was a fresh bouquet of flowers. It looked as if she had picked them herself.

Shikamaru froze when he saw her there. He couldn't see her face but he could see from the way her shoulders were shaking that she was crying. Inwardly he swore. He wasn't very good at being 'the shoulder to cry on' and he always found situations like this awkward. Then again, he wanted to talk to Kurenai and he didn't want to wait in case something happened to her.

_Maybe I'll just hide and wait for her to stop crying. I can come back to see Asuma another day._

Thus thinking Shikamaru took a step back, intending on turning and finding somewhere to stay until Kurenai had calmed down. Before he could even turn his head though he saw Kurenai's head jerk up and snap around to look at him. Her eyes were wide, glistening orbs staring at him in surprise. Seeing that it was only Shikamaru though they softened and she managed a shaky smile.

Now that he had been spotted Shikamaru decided it was expected of him to stay and so he walked forward until he was standing by the grave. Then he knelt down to her level, trying not to look at her face. It was obvious she had been crying because her cheeks were stained and her eyes still wet and diluted.

It was easier than he thought it would be to comfort her though because it seemed as if his very presence had quietened her. No more tears flowed now and she sat in silence, staring at the flowers she had bought. Shikamaru didn't have any flowers but he never had done when visiting Asuma. Instead he could still see the line of cigarette butts he had left at the foot of the grave.

Realising that Kurenai might still be a while as she showed no sighs of moving Shikamaru seated himself properly before taking a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it. It had been a while since he had last smoked one - generally he only smoked in Asuma's presence - but the feel was so familiar that it didn't matter. Kurenai, of course, didn't object; she never had worried about second hand smoke.

_Asuma…I'm sorry I haven't been for a while. I should really get myself sorted out - but you knew I was lazy anyway._ Shikamaru glanced at Kurenai out of the corner of his eye. It felt weird talking to Asuma with her there - he always talked to him alone - but he knew that she couldn't hear what he was saying.

_Ino has been taken by the Akatsuki. Chouji is dead. I feel as if I'm the only one left, Asuma. What should I do? Am I next? Why are they targeting us? Am I just being unreasonable? I really don't understand._

Shikamaru sighed, removing the cigarette from his mouth and exhaling one last time before extinguishing the slow-burning fire on the grass at the foot of the grave and withdrawing his hand.

_I wish you could help me._ Shikamaru mused but stopped before he could wish that Asuma was back with him, alive, in this world. _I would wish that - for you to be alive with me here - but this world is bleak. I wouldn't know, but yours is probably much better._

'Shikamaru…' Kurenai's soft voice spoke up and Shikamaru tilted his head to look at her. She didn't say anymore but her eyes were enough to tell him of her intentions; it was time to go.

_Until next time, Asuma._

Shikamaru rose with her, after she had lain her flowers on Asuma's grave, and they walked in silence out of the graveyard. It was not an awkward silence and so Shikamaru didn't feel tempted to break it. Instead he revelled in it; it was less effort this way anyway.

Kurenai hesitated at where they would usually part ways but Shikamaru shook his head slightly, not wanting to return home just then.

'I'll walk you home,' he offered, finally breaking the silence. Kurenai didn't object and the quiet blanketed them again as he walked beside her for the next five minutes to her house. He had intended to talk to her about Ino but somehow he couldn't bear it. She was already hurting and he wasn't sure if he would be able to make it worse for her. He wasn't that heartless. Thus, reluctantly, he prepared to leave her at her door, rebuking himself for hesitating like he said he wouldn't.

'Would you…like to come in?' Kurenai finally managed to ask, her voice barely a whisper, but she was smiling the same soft smile she had at the graveyard and so he nodded.

Over a cup of tea Shikamaru thought it might be easier to talk but he could only breach menial subjects such as the weather.  
'How's your son?' He inquired after another long pause.

'Oh? Good,' she answered softly. 'He's sleeping.'

'Getting on well at school?'

'Mm. I think so.' She sighed though and averted her eyes after that. Shikamaru wasn't sure if he should pursue the topic and so didn't.  
'Shikamaru…have you, ah, checked on Ino yet?'

It was as if he had been given an electric shock; the hairs at the back of his neck rose and he dug his fingernails into his palm to keep himself quiet. What was he to say? Was he supposed to tell her now? How would she react? Even though Kurenai was a temporary captain they were still like team-mates to her. Team-mates and friends.

'I couldn't reach her today when I phoned so I tried knocking, but she still wouldn't answer,' Kurenai continued, solving Shikamaru's problem temporarily whilst she talked. 'I-I went to the Hokage's building to inform her but I met Shizune on the way.' Here she stopped altogether, her eyes closed and breathing a little faster.

_Could…could it be that she already knows?_

'I-I know,' Shikamaru finally spoke, hoping that he was right about her knowing. He wouldn't have to tell her then. Maybe that's why she was visiting Asuma - or maybe that was just something she did anyway.

'_Why?_' She gasped, a fresh set of tears flowing forth. 'Why me? Why does everyone I get close to die? Why _me?_'

Shikamaru hadn't thought about it that way. He had wondered if he was going to die, but he hadn't thought that it was his fault. It was a wretched way of thinking and he was by her side in seconds, staring down at her worriedly as she sat in the chair, hands covering her face and sobbing. It was exactly the kind of awkward situation he had been trying to avoid.

'It-It isn't you, Kurenai. No more so than it is me. No-one has a grudge against you - against us. No-one hates us. It's just fate. It's just chance.' He crouched so that he was lower than her and not so intimidating. She took a deep, shuddering breath and for a moment she was able to stop her tears.

'That's not it,' her voice was cracked. 'I think fate is against us, against me. You - You'd better not get too close in case it k-k-kills you too!'

Shikamaru frowned and twisted his hands together in front of him. This was worse than he'd expected. Why couldn't he have just kept quiet and let her cry? His reassurances had only made things worse.

'You have a child. Fate is definitely not against you. In fact you're blessed.'

She shook her head, the volume of her sobs increasing and Shikamaru wondered what he'd said wrong. Was it because he had mentioned her child? Or perhaps she was disagreeing with his last statement? He had truly meant what he said though. Children were a blessing, even if it _was_ bothersome to look after them.

In the end Shikamaru spent the night there, sitting with her until she wore herself out with crying. Then he helped her to her room before finally taking a spare blanket and falling into a troubled sleep on the couch.

_Asuma - I promised you I'd protect Kurenai and your child, but I never thought it would be this difficult. I don't think I'm cut out for this, but I'm not going to back out now. I…I want you to be proud of me, Asuma. I want to be someone who you can be proud of._

* * *

She had already called the hospital and requested immediate assistance. They had sent a group of five; three nurses and two doctors. They were on their way. Tsunade sighed, sitting on a wall in front of Ino's house.

_Why?_ It was all she could think of, the only word that she could remember. Calling the hospital had been autopilot and she remembered the surprise of the secretary on the other telephone at how she hadn't examined the body herself. Tsunade hadn't explained her actions because she didn't wanted to admit that it was Sakura who was dead.

It was childish, she thought later, the way she was acting. Why couldn't she accept a truth as hard and cold as that? Then again there was no way she could walk back in that house now. No way she could have stood getting any nearer to that decaying flesh. Even the picture of it in her mind repulsed her. The smell had made her vomit, although she had managed to stagger outside first.

It had been a while since she had been this hands on with anything so horrible. As Hokage she spent a lot of time in her office and although she was used to bodies in the morgue and illness and blood in the hospital it was always kept within that sterile atmosphere. She had forgotten how much more disparaging it was outside of those whitewashed walls. Especially when you were alone.

_Always people close to me die. First Dan and Nawaki, then Jiraiya…and now Sakura. I used to blame the necklace - but Jiraiya and Sakura never even touched it. So is it just me? Am _I _cursed?_

She traced the lines on her palms carefully with her eyes.  
_Which is the life line? Is it that long one there, or this short one here? I hope the latter. I'm not suicidal but fate would be cruel to let me suffer much more. I'm not sure I could take much more either.  
__  
_'And at a time like this!' She spat out angrily, her voice low so that no one would hear her. 'When the town is in the state it's in. When Ino is missing and Chouji dead. When Akatsuki are roaming and when I'm at such a loose end…'

She bared her teeth and clenched her hand into a fist.  
'Hey you really do pile it on thick, Fate, don't you?'

_Being Hokage I have a lot of responsibility. People die because of my decisions. Do my ninja sleep peacefully, knowing I'm in charge? Do the citizens sleep soundly? Sometimes I wish I'd never taken this job. It was stupid of me to do so, but Naruto persuaded me with his honest earnestness. Would someone else have been better? I wondered before but…would _Naruto_ have been a better Hokage? At least he always wanted to be Hokage - unlike me._

Before she could think further on the subject a mixed set of hurried footsteps approaching caused her to looked up and over to her right. The five medics she had asked for quickly joined her and Tsunade stood up from the wall to greet them. She must have looked pale because she noticed some of them giving her worried glances. She faked a smile but couldn't find the words to speak.

'Hokage-sama - the body?'

'Ah? Oh, ee…second floor, second room along the landing.'

'Right, I understand,' one of the males replied and bowed before beginning to walk towards the door of the shop. The other man and one of the females also bowed and turned to leave but Tsunade called after them to wait.

'Ah - also, there's blood on some of the flowers downstairs. I don't think it's the same so, if you could get some samples…' her voice got progressively quieter until it finally petered out. The same man as before nodded, bowed and then left, entering the shop without the chime ringing as it now laid abandoned on the floor.

The rest followed him except one who hesitated, sending Tsunade a worried look.  
'Ah, I know it's probably not my place but…are you okay? Um, I'm sure they'll be okay without me so, if you want to talk, I'll listen.'

Tsunade gave her a blank stare back. She was fairly certain that the woman was just trying to be nice but she didn't have the enthusiasm to return her kindness.  
'You should help your colleagues,' Tsunade replied instead. 'Or they might think you're doing this just to get out of working.'

Surprised because the thought hadn't even crossed her mind the woman nodded and left, biting her lip because she thought she'd upset the Hokage.

_Ohh,_ Tsunade inwardly groaned. _Maybe I piled it on a bit thick, but I'm really not in the mood for being tactful._

'That really isn't an excuse for hurting someone though, is it?'

* * *

As he ran Deidara thought back to the argument he had just had with Ino. He didn't want to admit that he had been a major contributor to it because it took two to have an argument and he didn't want to be responsible for hurting Ino.

The guilt was clawing at him though, especially as he thought about the shadows he had seen at the edge of the forest; could they really have been who he thought they were? Ino had assumed that he had seen ANBU troops but he feared much worse; the shape of the cloaks were all too familiar to him by now.

_How could I be so stupid? How could I leave her like that, knowing that she was in danger? I really am an idiot._

Even the reminder that it had been Ino's fault he'd left her because she had refused to let him carry her didn't console him. He could easily have forced her to come with him - and wouldn't that have been the best considering the circumstances? Even if she would have hated him at least she would have been safe - and she hated him as it was now anyway, right?

His running slowed and he considered turning back and forcing her to come with him but before he could turn he felt someone's chakra approaching and then heavy footfalls on the hard earth. For a moment Deidara wondered if it could possibly be Ino but the footsteps sounded too heavy and the chakra felt too powerful. Thus what he considered as an irrational fear overcame him and he ran; _I never used to be this cowardly - why don't I wait and see who it is?_

His last encounter with an Akatsuki had left him very near death though and he still wasn't fully recovered from it - thus he wanted to avoid another attack; _are they all against me now, hm? Do they all know what I've done?_

He was nearing the start of the mountain range now, a steep rock wall less than a hundred meters in front of him only partly hidden behind a couple more small rises. There was a short stretch of open ground between the last mound and the cliff face and Deidara, seeing an opening in the rock, sprinted this last distance as fast as his remaining energy would allow him.

He was sure that his pursuer had been gaining on him but he managed to reach the crack and squeeze inside before he was spotted, not stopping to rest until he had shuffled a few meters further in.

It was dark in the cave and he knew it would take a while for his eyes to adjust but he thought he could see that the crack widened out to his right after an initial narrowing. Thus, sucking in his breath so that his chest thinned, Deidara pushed on until he managed to squeeze through the smaller gap into the wider section. The passage continued still further and so, glancing back at the entrance which was still empty, he continued to walk further into the mountain, reaching out with his right hand in case it was a dead end.

A noise behind alerted him to his pursuer's arrival and he stopped dead in his tracks, slowly turning his head to look back at the entrance. The light was blinding compared to the darkness of in front, even though there wasn't much of it. It was immediately obvious that someone was standing at the entrance and, even though his view was limited due to the narrower section of the passage, Deidara could tell straight away that it was Hoshigaki Kisame, Uchiha Itachi's partner.

At first he thought that Kisame must be able to see him and his heart beat faster, wondering whether he should stand and fight as he was at an advantage (Kisame would have to squeeze through into the wider section before he could fight properly and Deidara would easily be able to kill him whilst he was hindered by the rock) or if he should continue along the passage and hope it led somewhere (as unlikely as that was).

'Deidara-san? Deidara-san - is that you? Are you in there?'

Deidara could see that Kisame was squinting and it suddenly struck him that, due to the great light difference, it would be a lot harder for Kisame to see him than for him to see Kisame. He grinned. His joy was short lived though as he realised that his chakra must be recognisable as he had forgotten to mask it. Doing so now wouldn't be much of a help but it might stop Kisame from tracking him further if the crack actually led somewhere useful. Truth be told, he was getting a little claustrophobic.

'Oi - there's no point in masking your chakra, Deidara-san. I know it's you. Come out now and I won't hurt you,' the shark nin called in response to Deidara's chakra disappearing.

_Whose orders are you under? Leader-sama's? Did Zetsu spread the word? Where is Sasori? Where is Ino? What have you done with her?_

Teeth clenched angrily Deidara carefully continued his journey into the mountain, turning his back on Kisame and making sure to be as silent in his travelling as possible. Surprisingly, within five meters or so the passage took a sudden turn before opening up into what felt like a large cavern.

_Is this man-built? I thought it weird to start with that the crack went on for so long. Normally they close up a few meters in at best, but this is just perfect. Is luck on my side?_

Listening carefully Deidara thought he could hear voices from outside but he didn't think Kisame was talking to him because the sound didn't echo as it had before when Kisame had called into the cave. Had someone else joined him then? Either way Deidara knew that he still had the placement advantage and, to add to that, his eyes were beginning to adjust to the poor light. Not that he could see much, but at least he could trace the faint outline of the wall near him now.

He didn't know how big the cavern was but the air had the same cold tinge you can only find in large, open spaces. Did it used to be a mine? And, if so, was there another passage leading out of it? _That,_ Deidara thought wistfully, _would be useful._

Due to his hindered sight it seemed as if his hearing was enhanced and Deidara tensed as he heard the sound of someone moving through the passage he was standing next to. It was more obvious when they reached the narrower part because something metallic they were wearing or holding scratched against the rock, the sound echoing long afterwards. Deidara thought he heard someone swear.

Even though his arms weren't completely healed Deidara knew he had to take advantage of his placing and so positioned himself so that he could easily hit anyone coming out of the passage into the cave. Unfortunately, when his adversary did arrive, Deidara had to pull his hand back with a hiss of pain, a sharp cut from a metal kunai drawing blood.

_I guess I should have seen that coming,_ Deidara thought dryly to himself, still tensed in case his enemy attacked again. Not for the first time he regretted leaving his weapons pouch in the woods near the gates of Konohagakure.

'Oi, Sasori-san, have you found him? Is he in there, Sasori-san?…Sasori-san?'

Deidara only just stopped himself from emitting a small, surprised sound when he heard Sasori's name mentioned. He had thought it was Kisame who had attacked him but he realised then that Kisame would have had a lot more trouble fitting through the crack.

'S-Sasori-no-danna? Is that you, yeah?' Deidara added the suffix to his 'master's' name out of habit, not thinking anything of it, but he heard Sasori's breath hitch for a moment when he talked.

'Oh?' The familiar, slightly softer than normal, sound of his partner's voice answered Deidara's question for him. 'Am I still your 'danna', Deidara?'

A shiver ran down his spine after Sasori had spoken because there was definitely something wrong with his voice. Deidara had heard the dangerously soft tones before but couldn't remember ever having them directed towards _him_ - especially not with such intensity as now. He gulped, not sure what to do or say back.

'Sasori-san? … Oi! Are you there, Sasori-san?' Kisame called gruffly, his loud voice echoing painfully. Deidara realised that Sasori's and his voices probably hadn't echoed because they had been talking so quietly.

The sound of someone else shuffling along the passageway told Deidara that Kisame was following them - he was surprised he had fitted through the crack, but he must have taken Samehada off first and dragged it through afterwards.

Whilst Sasori stayed still Deidara decided that he should remain stationary too. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to say something back but he figured that, if he waited, Sasori would make a move eventually. Hopefully he would find out soon whether they really were hostile or not; Sasori's kunai could just have been out of self-defence.

A string of curse words told the two Akatsuki standing inside the cavern that their fellow had gotten stuck at the narrowest part of the passage and Deidara couldn't help smiling slightly. It was better that it was one-on-one whilst he wasn't sure what their intentions were. His relaxed attitude didn't last long though as Sasori's clear footsteps approached him, quickly closing the small gap between them.

'S-Sasori…?' Deidara whispered uncertainly, taking a step back and making sure he didn't add the suffix this time. His speaking had given away his exact position though and a moment later he felt something cold touch his face and lips. It wasn't metal because that was colder and pressed against his neck – but it didn't hold the same heat that a human body would have; Deidara finally decided it must be the puppet master's hand – wooden and lifeless.

He acted instinctively by grabbing Sasori's wrist and retreating another step, following the curve of the wall, but before he could react further Sasori forced him back against the wall and the cold metal of the kunai Sasori had cut his hand with returned to taunt his neck.

Deidara felt the first twinges of fear grip him and immediately he felt insecure; was Sasori going to kill him? Zetsu had almost killed him by slitting his neck and he didn't feel up to having it done again. He remembered how he had held Ino in a similar position on Sasori's orders to dispose of her and how he had let her go instead, not able to follow his master's instructions. Was Sasori angry because of that? Was he angry enough to kill?

'Sasori-san?' Kisame called once again, his swearing and shuffling having ceased for now. When he didn't receive any answer- _why is Sasori ignoring him, hm?_ – He swore once more before continuing angrily; 'Oi! If you don't answer me this time I'm going to have to use Samehada to break through this stupid tunnel to come and get you!'

Deidara's eyes widened at that because he wasn't stupid and knew that using Samehada to smash up the rock might well set off something much larger – like the cavern collapsing.

Although Sasori still refused to answer Kisame as he wanted he had definitely heard him because Deidara heard him hiss quietly under his breath as if he was annoyed. Then, so quickly that Deidara didn't have time to evade the movement, he felt himself pulled forward, both the hand and the kunai gone, and he stumbled. As soon as he had righted himself he felt something sharp and cold press against his back through the thin pajamas he was wearing, silently ordering him to move forward, following the curve of the rock wall again.

'I'm cutting my way through,' Kisame shouted almost desperately, his voice loud enough to create a rock fall in itself – or so Deidara thought jokingly. It struck Deidara though that Kisame could just be threatening Sasori so that he would answer and didn't really intend to use Samehada at all. Unfortunately, as appealing as this thought was, it was disproved not long afterwards as a loud crash was heard and the sound of rubble falling to the ground.

'Sa-' Deidara started, not altogether sure what he was going to say, when he was cut off by a cry of triumph from their shark companion. This cry of victory though soon turned into one of defeat as an ominous cracking was heard and the sound of more small rocks hitting the hard floor. A larger one than the rest signaled the beginning of something more than just a small-scale rock fall and Deidara's fear began to grow bigger, his annoyance at Sasori for not answering more than doubling.

Just when he felt dust from the roof of the large cavern lightly sprinkle itself on his hair though and he wondered what it would feel like being crushed, he was pulled backwards and hurriedly pushed to his left against the wall again. He had been too caught up in his pessimism to notice the kunai had disappeared and now he was doubly surprised to find that the wall he had been shoved against was not solid. There was a hole not dissimilar to the one he had entered the mountain with to start with and, suddenly filled with hope, he began to shuffle himself sideways through the crack, the dust of before turning into gravel and small stones.

'Hurry up!' Sasori barked angrily from his right and gave him a helping push inside before following close behind, swearing as a sharp stone caught his elbow and scratched the wood; it didn't hurt, but it would be a bother to sort out aesthetically.

As Deidara continued to press onwards he closed his eyes, practically useless anyway, to enhance his kinesthetic senses and he automatically started mapping out a plan of the cave system in his head. This passage was similar to the first one but was narrower at the start and wider later on, whereas the first one was narrow in the middle. Mostly the measurements were the same though – about three feet wide and five foot high – only enhancing Deidara's suspicions that it was man-made. With the roof being low though it meant that he had to duck his head although Sasori, who was still less than a foot away from him, didn't seem to have the same problem.

He would have moved further in but a second later and Deidara felt as if his eardrums had exploded. There had been a large crash, much larger than the others that had passed by at least ten times, and after that he hadn't even been able to hear the echo. Everything went silent although he was sure that it shouldn't be until, a few minutes later, his ears popped and he heard a rushing sound inside his eardrums. His hands immediately jerked up to cover them and he could hear the pounding of his heart very loudly, as if he was completely set apart from the world.

Then the small sounds came back and he could hear his breathing and Sasori's next to him. His was more labored than his partner's (_although, am I still counted as Akatsuki? Then, is he still counted as my 'partner'?_). It seemed as if most of the rock fall was over and now there was just the distant sound of pebbles knocking against each other. There wasn't even an echo.

At first Deidara wondered if he should continue along the passageway because Sasori made no move to return to the cavern and he was fairly certain that the tunnel they were in then must lead somewhere – preferably to the outside world, at some point at any rate. But when he shifted and took a step to his left once more he felt something cool brush against his arm and then latch onto him, firmly gripping his hospital pajama-top's sleeve.

'Deidara…' Sasori whispered quietly, his voice holding something which Deidara wasn't familiar with; was it fear, insecurity, a plea for help? The tone of his next words however banished the feeble image from Deidara's mind for they were full of authority and ice although his voice was still low.

'_Why are you still alive?'_

* * *

!End!

Ok, what did you think? I'm really tired and have been ill again which is how I managed to finish this in a few days. Any comments will be very welcome - perhaps more so than usual - because I'm home alone all of tomorrow and will be lonely with little to do.

Oh dear, it sounds as if I'm trying for the 'sympathy vote' or something. Ah well. I love reviews, so even if you don't normally review it'd be really nice to hear from you and what you thought/think of this chapter/the story.D

Love'oo all!  
WfCP  
xxxxx


	22. Cat or Dog?

Hi everyone!

WOW! I actually got a chapter out! Heehee, I know it's been a while and I'm not going to leave a long list of excuses for you all. Just that, now I've realised how soon my GCSE's are, I'm beginning to panic and so this story is taking a backseat which is why the chapters have been taking a while. I'll update my profile with some other reasons and random notes after this chapter has been uploaded.

Anyway, if you can't remember what happened last then you can always check back through the last few chapters (just skim read them or whatever – it's what I do!).

Whilst it's in Itachi's pov you'll just have to improvise your own thoughts and explanations on and for Ino's behavior so sorry – but hey, never mind. I'll just shut up and let you read.

* * *

'Deidara…' Sasori whispered quietly, his voice holding something which Deidara wasn't familiar with; was it fear, insecurity, a plea for help? The tone of his next words however banished the feeble image from Deidara's mind for they were full of authority and ice although his voice was still low.

'_Why are you still alive?__'_

* * *

It was a relief to finally reach the line of trees that marked the start of Konoha's dense forest because it meant that he no longer had to carry the Yamanaka girl. It wasn't that she had been restless or put up a fuss at being carried in his arms but her silent rigid-ness throughout the journey had been even worse. He was used to people obstinately fighting back or carrying them unconscious so the awkwardness of a captive unwillingly coming in peace was new to him.

_I should have knocked her out anyway, hn._ He thought regretfully as he stopped a few trees in and unceremoniously dropped her on the floor. It wasn't really a surprise when she didn't right herself in time because after lying frozen for so long she was too stiff to move suddenly; when she did make it to her feet she had to grab hold of a nearby tree in order to stay upright (although Itachi reckoned that she could probably walk unaided if she really tried).

Whilst Ino carefully stretched her legs and arms, Itachi silently walked in a rough circle around the area he had stopped in. Of particular interest to him was the stream which was less than five meters away to his right with his back facing the hills they had just come from; if they were to camp the night then a source of food and water would be helpful.

Ending his examination of the area back where he had started Itachi decided, with a sigh, that it was probably time for him to briefly outline Ino's situation to her.  
'You are a captive,' he started bluntly, gaining her immediate attention, 'which means you are 'a person who is enslaved or dominated'.'

Ino interrupted him with a growl which earned a raised eyebrow in reply. 'I know what it means already - I'm not stupid you know!' She elaborated angrily and so Itachi ignored her.

'I can outpower, outsmart and outrun you so there's no point in trying to escape.' He paused a moment for effect and was relieved to see that Ino made no move to interrupt him this time although she was still angry, her eyes slated at the ground.

'Normally I would just kill you and get it over with, but Deidara being alive has changed things somewhat. Unlike you, you see, Deidara could actually give us a bit of trouble should he decide to be awkward - but if we threaten him by taking something he values…well, do you see where you come into all this?'

This time Ino kept her mouth shut, settling for a quick nod of the head instead as if she couldn't trust herself to speak conservatively.

'Good. Then whilst I set up a fire you can try and catch some dinner from the river over there.' Itachi waved his hand in the water's general direction although the position was obvious anyway from the sound before turning his back to her and beginning to clear a space on the forest floor.

He didn't need to look at her to know that she hadn't moved because she was so close that he could sense her chakra without even trying. _Still_, he mused calmly, _she's taking it well so I can't really complain._ It didn't take her long to start moving either and when she did she surprised Itachi by approaching the steam as he had suggested. Straightening up and glancing over his shoulder Itachi raised an eyebrow when he realised that she had slipped her hands under the water and was fishing; she was being far too co-operative for his liking.

'Ye-ay! I caught it!' Ino exclaimed joyfully, firmly gripping a medium-sized trout, before she appeared to realise who she was with and so fell silent, staring at the fish with a concentration that just didn't look natural.

'Well done,' Itachi praised when he saw her achievement. He hadn't meant to, of course, but surprise at the quickness of the catch had let the words slip through his carefully laid emotional defences undetected. As soon as he saw the blonde's head begin to turn towards him though he quickly looked away, wanting to seem as detached as possible.

It didn't take long to clear a space for the fire and gather some wood from the surrounding trees and forest floor. It took even less long to light it using the Uchiha's special fire jutsu and soon a healthy blaze was lighting up the small clearing.

Ino had returned with two fish and had been watching him for a few minutes but, once the fire was lit, she looked away, a sad expression on her face. Itachi would have left it but it had been bothering him from the start - why Deidara had fallen for her - and so he glanced over at her again before looking back at the fire and asking bluntly,  
'What's wrong?'

Her chakra flared slightly in surprise but, just as he thought she wasn't going to answer, she replied hesitantly,  
'Y-You remind me of Sasuke.'

Almost as soon as she said it Ino clapped her hands over her mouth and Itachi saw when he flicked his eyes away from the fire to rest on her face that she was staring at him fearfully, a fear that faded a bit when she saw his calm face.

'I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I-I mean you, um, hate him, right?'

Her ramblings hadn't really been meant as a question - more of a statement actually - but Itachi was tempted to disagree anyway. He didn't hate Sasuke, it was just that Sasuke hated _him_.  
_But she doesn't need to know that. I'm interested enough to talk, but not about myself._

Catching sight of a sharp stick which had rolled out of the fire Itachi crouched to pick it up and threw it so that it landed neatly just in front of Ino, making her flinch in surprise.  
'Use that to cook the fish,' he ordered explanatorily.

After clearing a small area of ground where they could sleep Itachi returned to watching Ino cook the fish. As he had only provided her with one stick she cooked them separately and she had nearly finished the first one when he began to talk again.

'I forgot you were my brother's age,' Itachi lied, wanting to breach the subject again in hope of finding out how Ino had known Sasuke. Her hand dropped slightly into the fire but was withdrawn quickly with a wince as if she'd burnt herself. 'I know you weren't on his team - that was Sakura, wasn't it? - so how did you know him?'

When Ino refused to reply Itachi frowned and continued, not wanting to give in, 'Were you friends? … Lover-' He stopped because he realised that his words had had more of an effect than he thought they would have and Ino had dropped the stick and fish into the fire. Her face was surprised at her own clumsiness which helped to hide her thoughts on the conversation topic from his observant eyes as he approached.

'You've burnt the fish,' he sighed, coming to stand behind her. Intimidated, Ino stood and turned to face him - only to realise she was too close and so attempt to step backwards. Immediately Itachi's hands were gripping her shoulders tightly to stop her from retreating; an instinctive movement that confused him. The fire was behind her so he had acted to stop her being burnt - but why should he care?

Ino was also confused and so struggled against his grip, oblivious to the crackling flames less than a foot behind her. Itachi, hardly needing an excuse to let her go, released his grip and watched calmly as she stumbled backwards and tripped, ruining his neatly-made fire as the flames rearranged themselves to lick around the edges of their new-found food.

_What? Does she think I'm going to protect her like Deidara must have? Does she think she means something to me?_

Getting out of the fire was like a reflex reaction for Ino and in less than a few seconds she was sitting to the side of the fire, desperately trying to rid herself of the still-burning hospital gown. Once it was thrown to the side Itachi sensibly stamped out the flames to avoid a mass forest fire and flicked his eyes over to where the dilapidated campfire was still flickering in the dim light. For the moment, at least, the fire seemed under control.

Ino had put out the flames attacking her hospital scrubs' trousers but hadn't been able to stop being burnt and so began to attend to her wounds. Itachi, calmly studying her face, was surprised to see that her cheeks were slightly flushed and, when he glanced towards the green-glowing chakra, that her hands were shaking. For some reason he couldn't fathom these actions annoyed him and for a moment he was tempted to stop her from healing her wounds, simply because he was angry that she had affected him, even if the emotion she had drawn was negative.

_Logically stopping her is the best option as well. With her injured it will make it harder for her to run away and shows Deidara that we're serious in our threats. Also, it might be interesting to see how he handles her dependence on us. I wonder - would he be jealous?_

Swiftly crouching down to her level Itachi silently noted that Ino ignored him before he firmly gripped her wrists and removed them from her burnt skin. Her whimper showed genuine surprise at the move and when he looked he realised that her blush had spread and deepened; _Is she embarrassed?_

'Don't heal it anymore,' he intoned simply, 'I'd prefer it if you remained hurt.'

It sounded more sadistic out loud than it did in his head but he assumed that a young, female Konohagakure kunoichi like Yamanaka Ino wasn't likely to take it that way. Even so, although she did not speak, Ino managed to pull her hands away from Itachi's grip and turn her head away so she didn't have to face him.

The atmosphere was awkward then as if Ino was silently wishing him to leave her but something made him stay; perhaps it was just his stubbornness, but Itachi was more prone to believe that it was curiosity. She was being too compliant again, not trying to heal her ankles now he'd told her not to, and he was fairly sure that her blush was not simply caused by the heat of the fire.

_Is she _falling_ for me?_ Itachi wondered, staring at her incredulously although, with her face turned away from him, she couldn't see the look he gave her. _Is she masochistic? Does she just have a natural tendency to fall for serial killers? Is she really that stupid? Does she think I will fall for her too?_

With these thoughts racing in his mind as he stood up it isn't really a surprise that an idea suddenly presented itself to Itachi, stopping him from moving away from Ino quite so soon.

_Deidara must have been taken in by her looks, but does he realise just how easily swayed she is? Perhaps if he sees the way she blushes at my attention he will reconsider his foolishness and willingly return to Akatsuki before we're ordered to kill him. It would certainly save us a lot of trouble._

Thus thinking Itachi glanced back down at Ino's golden hair which was glittering in the flickering light given out by the warm, dancing flames and smiled triumphantly. Reaching out a hand he rested it lightly on the top of Ino's head, causing her to look up at him in surprise. When her eyes searched his face though the smile was softer and almost invisible.

Itachi removed his hand from her warm hair then but the connection wasn't lost because their eyes had met - and what Itachi saw there made him certain that his plan would succeed. Ino was really just a frightened, innocent young girl - right?

* * *

Having just finished their daily run around the surrounding area, Gai and Lee splashed their faces with cold water from a nearby stream before returning to camp feeling refreshed and youthful - ready to start a new day. Groans of awakening greeted them as Neji (who was last on watch) woke the rest of the group.

Gai watched as they slowly got up, smiling genuinely at their sleepiness in light of his own wakefulness. Cries of tired protest from his right drew his attention to Neji and Tenten, the former trying to wake the latter who was having none of it.

As Tenten wildly flailed her hands around in the air though, eyes still shut and trying to get her disturber to disappear, she made contact with Neji's face and opened her eyes to see her left hand cupping Neji's bright red cheek. Blushing furiously Tenten dropped her hand and sat up with a jolt, keeping her eyes firmly focused on the ground as Neji hurriedly retreated.

Gai couldn't help chuckling fondly at the 'perfect pair'. They had obviously had crushes on each other for more than a year now but neither could confess their love for fear of rejection and both appeared to be blind to the other's blatant feelings. _Young love is so beautiful and youthful!_ Gai mentally gushed before turning his eyes to Lee who was busy preparing breakfast for everyone from the ration packs.

'Lee, your great youthfulness will definitely capture Sakura's heart!' Gai cried adamantly, causing his pupil to look up in surprise as he approached and helped him with the breakfast preparations. Although confused as to why his sensei had chosen that sentence to call out across the campsite Lee was nevertheless pleased and so replied eagerly,  
'Yosh, Gai-sensei, I will try my hardest to be as youthful as possible!'

After breakfast, which had been a mostly silent affair due to the sleepiness of more than half of the ninja, they packed up camp before continuing onwards to their destination.

'We shouldn't be far now,' Kakashi informed his slightly-better-now-for-having-had-their-breakfast companions and was backed up by Gai who added that Lee and himself had seen the place during their morning run. Indeed it hardly took half an hour for them to arrive at a spot from which they could easily view the village they had been looking for.

It was a really quaint little place nestled in the valley between two sharp cliff faces. The grass looked beautifully green from where they stood at the top of one of the cliffs looking down upon the village and the same stream from which Gai and Lee had splashed their faces with water from earlier ran down the side of the cliff as a small waterfall, filling a pool at the bottom from which a well-travelled track ran to from the small cluster of houses dubbed the 'village'.

Apparently the villagers had risen at roughly the same time as the group of ninja because smoke was already pouring out of the red-brick chimneys and the villagers were collecting eggs from chickens in their back gardens and milking similarly kept cows, calling greetings to each other whilst they did so.

As they watched the warm, friendly atmosphere grow and swell as the seconds ticked by they heard a clear ringing of bells echo around the valley and so their eyes traced the sound back to a small church with a bell tower positioned in the middle of the village next to a small community square where markets were probably often held.

'Wow,' Neji and Tenten breathed together before glancing at each other and quickly turning away, cheeks glowing a soft red colour.

'Yeah, it's beautiful!' Lee agreed enthusiastically, shifting his weight from one foot to the other whilst waiting as a form of light exercise. 'Should we go?'

Watching his student Gai smiled, noting the bulges in the suit just above Lee's ankles that showed where the weights were positioned. Some may think it was a cruel way to train but Gai woud disagree vehemently - anything he did for Lee he did in his best interests because Lee really was like the child he had never had.

'Yosh!' Gai agreed, hurriedly snapping out of his fond, fatherly-like thoughts. 'Let's go!'

* * *

Itachi's eyes were as cold and as calculating as usual - but this time Ino could see interest and it scared her. She could still feel his hand resting on her hair so realistically that it was as if it was still there but she wished she couldn't. It was true that she had been finding his presence and physical contact affective and pleasing after he had captured her but that just made things more awkward and uncomfortable than they would have been otherwise.

_Although we fought I don't think a love like Deidara and I had can be shoved aside so easily - at least, not by me - but, if I still love him, why am I reacting so stupidly to the Uchiha bastard? Is it because he looks like Sasuke? But, even so, I'm over Sasuke. I don't even like the guy anymore - not since he joined up with Orichimaru. I - Is he reading my thoughts? Oh damn, why can't I break eye contact?_

Itachi blinked, causing Ino's own eyes to shut fleetingly, and when she looked again he had turned his head to look at the fire. Then he walked over to the un-burnt fish and spiked it with another stick from the fire. Sitting cross-legged across the flames from her he slowly began to cook the fish, occasionally flicking his eyes up to her face as if trying to read what she was thinking.

Ino was fairly sure that Itachi hadn't realised the effect he was having on her until he had stopped her from healing the burnt skin around her ankles. Then it had been like a light bulb had gone on or a switch had been pressed on in his head. She had been able to feel the change in his attitude even though she hadn't been looking at him and it unnerved her. After that he had touched her hair, if lightly and briefly, and caught her eye. It confused Ino because it seemed that, instead of distancing himself from her as she would expect him to after such a realisation, he was trying to get closer.

_Does he…_like_ me?_ Ino wondered incredulously, glancing up at the dark eyes of her companion whilst they were fixed on the fire in the hope of finding an answer but there was none and, when he raised his eyes to match her stare, she quickly averted her own. _Sasuke was always trying to avoid me but, even though they're brothers, they're different people._ _Is it really possible though for someone like Uchiha Itachi to fall for someone as ordinary as me? Actually it makes him seem less imposing than before because I now have some power over him, don't I?_

Ino sighed, tired out by her thoughts and the long day she had had. Thinking back she realised with a slight start that, actually, the day had started with her waking up in a Konohagakure hospital bed after a deep sleep, numb from the wet and cold of the night before. From then on though it had continued on to be one of the best days of her life. Deidara, the man her life now revolved around, had confessed and been confessed to and she had run away with him - something that had seemed a distant dream (running away with a loved one) only a week or two ago. Then there had been the sunset and how she had given up her virginity so perfectly under the beautiful, red sky…

_What went wrong?_ Ino wondered tiredly, images of Deidara, distorted because of her rage at that time, flashing into her mind. Their angry, snapped words jumbled together in her head as she stared with troubled eyes at the dancing flames.

Then there had been the uncharacteristic cries of desperation and anger from Sasori, the way he had faced Itachi with such hatred and force and how he had called her 'Ino-kun' and tricked her. She bit her lip now, thinking of how stupid she had been. If she hadn't helped him she might not have been in this mess now. After all, the awkwardness had started when she'd first felt Itachi's warmth against her back.

_Am I really so unfaithful? Am I really so despicable? Then again, does it even matter? Deidara probably doesn't even care about me anymore, so why should I have to stay true to him? Am I a dog? Will I follow him even though he does not love me?_

A movement in front of her alerted her to the fact that Itachi had finished cooking the trout and now she caught her half as it came sailing through the warm air and foggy smoke above the fire to land neatly in her outstretched hand.

_Or am I more like a cat, doomed to constantly change my allegiance and friendships depending on who shows me the most attention or throws me the most fish?_

As she ate Ino pondered the complexities of her life before turning her thoughts to how long she would be left alone with Itachi; a night, a night and a day…more? The sooner the better, she concluded, as she wasn't sure she would be able to stand the tension much longer and she wanted to see Deidara again, even if he still hated her for what she'd said to him.

Footsteps made her start but she saw that they were Itachi's - although she wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. He stopped behind her, making her turn her head around to gaze up at him as she felt insecure when she couldn't see him or what he was doing.

'I'm not tired but you can sleep if you want. I'm going to wait for the others to return.'

It was a relief that, if he was going to wait for the others to return, then it was likely they wouldn't be much longer but Ino was fairly sure she wouldn't be able to sleep, even though she was tired - with Itachi nearby she couldn't trust herself to lie unprotected whilst he remained awake. Still, not wanting to make a fuss because her energy was limited, Ino stood, intending to make her way over to the small area Itachi had cleared earlier for her to sleep in.

Unfortunately Ino's ankle was still sore from where it had been burnt (Itachi had stopped her just after she had dealt with the worst of the damage but it still ached) and she stumbled as she put her weight on it, quickly sitting back down on the floor with a visible wince. Inwardly Ino cursed herself for showing how weak she was in front of her powerful companion but, just as she was wondering if he was going to mock her or just ignore her, a hand descended into her vision.

_If he had really fallen for me as I thought a little while ago, would he really be so composed around me? It's as if he isn't affected at all by me._

Ino took his hand though, marveling again at how warm it was for someone with such a cold personality. He was strong too and, guiltily, Ino was reminded of when Deidara had also helped her up before and how strong he had been too. Why did she have to compare Deidara to Itachi so much? Despite the guilt though Ino couldn't help admitting that Itachi was, actually, physically stronger than Deidara.

Just helping her to her feet, Ino realised, would not be enough because her ankles were too weak to take her weight and so Itachi, who understood her silent observation, wrapped a cloaked arm around her waist, easily supporting her. It felt wrong and Ino decided that it was made doubly worse by the fact that Itachi refused to acknowledge that the contact should make any difference to his (or her) countenance even though she was fairly sure he knew that it would have an effect.

_It's correct though, isn't it? The man is protecting the woman, just as tradition states…but Itachi isn't the man I want protecting me. I - I'm sorry, Deidara. I'm sorry._ Afterwards Ino wished that she hadn't apologised because it felt as if Deidara had actually heard her which only helped to make her guilt more acute.

Just as she tried to take her first step towards the cleared ground in which she was supposed to sleep though there was a rustling to their left and Ino froze. She would have put it down to being an animal but she had been camping on missions enough to know that the movements were too heavy and careful to be anything but a human's.

When Itachi reached for his weapons pouch Ino readied herself for the fall to the ground, sure that Itachi would drop her in preference of protecting himself but he kept holding her with his left arm and the fall never came. In his right hand he gripped a kunai, waiting for an attack, and Ino understood then that he intended to protect them both, even though it would lessen his chances of winning against a strong opponent (and Ino could feel that there was a very strong chakra nearby). Weirdly though, straight after Ino felt the powerful, imposing chakra, Itachi relaxed and, although the attacker had fallen still, Ino suddenly heard someone speak.

'Ah, Itachi-san - so it _is _you! I was wondering for a bit there.' The voice was deep and Ino remembered hearing it before somewhere; _but who is it?_

The kunai disappeared as the rustling in the bushes resumed, coming closer to the two ninja in the clearing. Then, just as the shapely blue face with small, beady black eyes emerged from between the trees (giving Ino the face of the speaker), Itachi completed the picture by supplying the name;

'Kisame.'

* * *

Finished!

Okiedokie - how was it?

I can't give you a date for the release of the next chapter but I think I've been getting them out monthly now – right? Or something ridiculous like that anyway. It's unlikely I'll return to my 'once a week' policy but hopefully it won't slip anymore!

Haha, I've realised this fic has been going on for more than a year now because I remember getting a chapter out around my birthday last year too! Nyaa, I'm going to be sixteen soon!!! Yay me!

And for my birthday present you can review! Ha!

Anyway, love you all and thanks so much for continuing to read!  
~WfCP  
xxxxxxx…


	23. What is Love?

Hey all!

First I must apologise for the long wait. I'm not sure if I've said before but how this fic works for me is that I'll have a sudden inspiration and write a chapter in a few days at most. Then I'll post it. Afterwards I'll think 'oh well – now I don't have to get another chapter up for a while' and so stop writing until my next bout of inspiration. As a further excuse I have my mocks after Christmas so I've been revising.

Anyway, this is my late Christmas present/on-time New Year gift to you all. 'Better late than never' though, eh?

Hope you enjoy it (maybe you could quickly refresh your memory by glancing at previous chapters if you've forgotten?) and Merry Christmas/A Happy New Year!:D

* * *

The kunai disappeared as the rustling in the bushes resumed, coming closer to the two ninja in the clearing. Then, just as the shapely blue face with small, beady black eyes emerged from between the trees (giving Ino the face of the speaker), Itachi completed the picture by supplying the name;

'Kisame.'

* * *

'_Why are you still alive?_'

The words were colder than Sasori had expected them to be when he said them although he supposed it showed how cut off he felt from his old partner now. Before he had been able to read Deidara well - had grown so accustomed to his habits and thought patterns that it was easy to taunt and tease him, even if they hadn't been on the best of terms. Now though Sasori realised that he didn't know Deidara at all - had he really changed that much, or had Sasori never really known the real him?

Deidara flinched away from the grip on his sleeve but Sasori hesitated before letting go - in the darkness it felt as if he was letting Deidara go forever. 'I don't know what you mean, hm,' Deidara finally replied mutedly, his tone almost grudging. 'Why shouldn't I be alive?'

It made Sasori wonder for several seconds then - made him cast his mind back to when he had first heard. It had been Zetsu, hadn't it? He had come back boasting of his kill; _**'He won't be coming back.'**_ Now Sasori recalled the words he was surprised to find that Zetsu had never specifically said that Deidara was dead - only that he wouldn't be 'coming back'. Had he really meant that Deidara had defected then, instead of saying he had killed him?

_I've been a fool,_ Sasori thought rather blankly, recalling images of a bathroom filled with fear, a journey through woods in the cold pit of despair and the shock and anger he had felt when he heard the ghost-like voice of his old partner in the clearing. He could still feel the fierce grip of Itachi and Kisame on his arms and he winced, gently rubbing the spots to stop the hallucination.

Movement to his right alerted Sasori to the fact that Deidara was moving around in the confined space. He seemed to be moving further and further away and Sasori suddenly felt insecure, wanting to reach out a hand and grab hold of him again although he knew the touch was unwelcome. It was cold in the tunnel so maybe that was why.

'Where are you going?' Sasori asked instead, beginning to move after Deidara as he heard him stop in his tracks.

'Out of here,' was the simple response. 'There's a tunnel leading away from the chamber we were in before - I'm hoping it'll lead somewhere useful,' Deidara elaborated a moment later, surprising Sasori with the detail. They continued on through the rocks in relative silence after that, although Sasori somehow wished that Deidara hadn't found the tunnel. Yes, he wanted to get out of the rock but he had also wanted to talk to Deidara more. For all his regrets in never having been very friendly with him whilst he was 'alive', Sasori had thought that perhaps a reunion could have resolved their differences now he had learned from his mistakes - but he guessed that Deidara hadn't been thinking as deeply as he had, not having been tricked into thinking that Sasori was dead.

The tunnel was at least thrice the length of the first tunnel they had traversed but Sasori bore it with incredible patience, only wishing now to be away from Deidara so that he no longer had to suffer the cold and awkward atmosphere. It didn't help his mood then when Deidara stopped, still only a few feet in front of Sasori, apparently for no reason. Uneasy, Sasori reached for a kunai but just as he touched the metal Deidara spoke, his voice dejected,  
'The tunnel ends here. It doesn't look like another rock fall - I think it was just abandoned before completion.'

Sasori only realised then how thin the air was and how, if they were to stay here for an indefinite amount of time, they would surely die. Even his lone heart needed air for him to survive. 'We need to go back,' Sasori replied, taking charge. If they returned to the rock fall then they could perhaps dislodge a few stones at the top to give them a source of air and light. Although they would still need food and water they would be able to survive a few days at least.

Taking Deidara's silence as an affirmative, Sasori began to walk back the way they had come, the hollow echo of his feet against the cold, hard rock sounding loud in the silence. Deidara's steps were out of sync, creating an interesting rhythm as they walked. The tunnel seemed longer on the way back - but perhaps that was because there was no hope of an unblocked exit at the other end.

The silence continued even after they reached the end of the tunnel where they leant against the rock, wrapped in their own thoughts. Sasori had intended to try and move the pile of rocks in their way and so escape but he wasn't sure how far up the rocks went and was scared of getting trapped or crushed in the process. Deidara sat down on the floor to Sasori's right.

_You would think (in a situation like this) that we would have something to say to each other, wouldn't you?_ Sasori mused, not wanting to openly admit his annoyance at the silence. _After all, I'm not even sure if he's still part of the Akatsuki - doesn't that give us a topic for conversation?_

'Is the Akatsuki going to kill me now?' Deidara finally wondered, apparently satisfied that Sasori didn't mean him any immediate harm. Sasori, surprised by the words, refused to answer him.

'What's being in love like?' He returned instead, changing the conversation.

'Eh?' Sasori's question seemed to hold just as much surprise for Deidara as his had for Sasori. For a while no-one said anything. 'Haven't you ever been in love?' Deidara ventured later, his tone careful as if he was afraid Sasori might take offence.

'Why would I be asking?' Sasori answered dryly, faintly amused. He also sat down on the floor, not used to feeling taller than Deidara.

'Ah right. Of course, hm.'

The silence descended once again but it was less awkward this time now it had been broken. Staring at where Sasori remembered the rocks to have fallen (it was too dark for him to actually see the blocked entrance), he began to worry again about getting out. It was unlikely that any help would come for them and if they didn't die of suffocation then the lack of food or water would kill them soon enough.

'Where did Kisame go?' Deidara asked with genuine curiosity. Sasori had forgotten about the shark-nin, but since he hadn't heard any movement from outside it seemed reasonable to assume he had been crushed by the rocks.

'Perhaps he went to get help?' Deidara answered his own wondering with yet another question. Sasori though it unlikely; Kisame was stronger than any help he would be going to get. At least, if he _had_ gone to fetch Itachi then Sasori wouldn't be best pleased at being left behind.

'Unless he's given us up for dead,' Sasori concluded. 'After all, it's unlikely he saw us disappear into this tunnel.'

'Always the optimist, hm,' Deidara joked with little mirth. 'But if Akatsuki were trying to kill me anyway it won't be a great loss, will it?'

_No. Not a great loss at all. Not only do they get rid of Deidara, but they also get rid of me - as of late a useless, emotional wreck who dared to oppose the Uchiha and disobey orders. Instead of a loss, it's practically a gain._

'What are you thinking about, hm?'

'That doesn't matter.'

'Do you know what happened to Ino?'

Sasori glanced at where Deidara was sitting although it was too dark for him to see anything. It wouldn't be wise, he decided, to tell Deidara then how he had used Ino in order to escape Itachi - although he doubted she had come to any extra harm because of it. Whether she was dead or alive really depended on Itachi as he must be the one she'd been left with, considering Kisame had run off after him instead of staying with Itachi.

'She seemed alright last time I saw her.'

'Which was?'

'Hmm,' Sasori hummed thoughtfully. It wasn't that he couldn't remember, but rather that he felt as if he should be careful when choosing his words. 'Back in the hills. You were arguing, weren't you?'

The silence told him that Deidara wasn't happy with the answer. Had he been somehow hoping that Ino would have had enough time to escape before they arrived?

'I knew you were coming. I saw the cloaks at the edge of the forest but she refused to come with me. I didn't want to tell her you were here but she didn't trust me enough…hm. I should have taken her anyway. She would have hated me but I should have taken her.'

'We would have caught you anyway,' Sasori consoled. 'And then you would have had to see her die. It's probably better this way.'

Deidara gave a rather bitter laugh in reply. 'You've never been in love so you wouldn't know - but that argument is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.'

'If you're lucky that might not be too far away.'

'I don't know why I'm telling you this anyway,' the irritated bomb-maker bit back angrily and shifted in the darkness. Sasori assumed he had turned his back to him. Running a hand through his messy hair Sasori sighed. He hadn't meant to be a pain, but he didn't have much practice at being reassuring and considerate.

_Getting to know Deidara is going to be harder than I first thought._

* * *

The new influx of flu victims had Shizune kept busy at the hospital but, with the knowledge of what was going on in the grander scheme of things, it was getting harder and harder to concentrate on the job at hand.

Taking a quick break at the reception desk, tongue burnt on the coffee she insisted on drinking hot so as to waste less time, Shizune was there to hear Tsunade's phone call for help. There hadn't been much information in it, said the receptionist, but apparently another ninja had been found dead.

Shizune had been asked to go but quickly excused herself on 'urgent business', leaving her coffee and grabbing her coat as she left the white building, walking quickly through the empty streets as the first rays of dawn began to brighten the cloudless sky.

It wasn't as if she wanted to go there, but now she felt as if she had little choice. She knew they wouldn't question her orders; she would tell them they were Tsunade's anyway. It wasn't what she wanted to do. Tsunade wasn't who she wanted to betray. But to betray a person was better than to betray a whole town - and she didn't wanted anymore deaths.

The ANBU base looked more imposing clouded in darkness than it did in the daytime - but that was probably true of most buildings. Shizune hated the place either way - but the guards who met her at the entrance were friendly enough and, staring at her hands, the bare surroundings hardly registered.

The commander met her immediately and the orders were conveyed not long afterwards. No-one questioned her authority, just as she knew they wouldn't, but it didn't make her feel any better. She hurried past Naruto's room as she left, praying that he wouldn't be woken by the click of her high heels. She couldn't stand to see him then.

They would change the guards as soon as possible, calling squad B and the trackers back from the walls to base so that they could guard Naruto. For even though Tsunade was convinced that that wasn't where the Akatsuki were headed Shizune was. And now that they had killed another ninja it was certain that they were already inside the walls, so why protect the city from intruders when the enemy were already inside?

Shizune returned to the hospital at a slower pace. Everything had gone smoothly but, just like last time she had visited the base, she found it impossible to be entirely pleased with the result. Her actions had been thought out yet they felt impulsive. Maybe she had been wrong? Maybe she had missed some important detail? She couldn't be positive with the information given that the Akatsuki had killed the ninja, but it was unlikely that it had been anyone else - so what was it?

What had she missed?

* * *

Hana winced in anticipation of the cold water that splashed onto her face barely a second later, washing away the beads of sweat that had accumulated during her running. She had stopped to take a few breaks along the way but they were becoming more frequent now. Not only had her companions left her, called back to Konoha by a change of heart from the Hokage, but her tracking dogs had become more subdued since they reached the river. A standard diversion trick but Hana had it sorted. They would have had to emerge from the water at some point and, so long as she continued to have one dog either side of the river, she would find their scent eventually.

_Still_, Hana thought wearily, straightening up and drying her face on her arm, _it does rather take it out of you trying to keep the dogs focused. Even though they're trained it's getting late now and they want to sleep._

Urging the two large tracking dogs onwards, Hana followed the right side of the river just behind them at a steady jog, refusing to admit that she, too, was very tired. She had been an ANBU member for several years now, meaning she had less time to spend with her family. As she travelled, occasionally clicking her fingers at her panting companions, she let her mind wander to thoughts of her younger brother, Kiba. He had gone on a mission about a week ago now, just before Chouji's death. She wasn't sure when he was due back but they had been travelling to the Water country and the ships could be quite unreliable.

_I hope he'll be okay_, Hana thought quietly, ducking under a low branch. _But he's old enough now to look after himself. I shouldn't be worrying about him. He wouldn't like it._ She allowed herself a brief smile as she envisioned his irritated face; he got so moody when she treated him like a child.

Suddenly Katsu, the dog on Hana's side of the river, slowed down and began to sniff the ground excitedly. Quickly stopping herself, Hana called Yue, the other dog, over with a low whistle. Katsu had obviously found something. Even though she was tired, the dog had picked up a little now and continued along the ground swiftly, nose pressed against the dry earth. Hana could see the hills now - they were barely a hundred meters further up the river. Then Katsu stopped altogether, growling quietly under her breath. Were they near then, the Akatsuki?

Holding a finger to her lips Hana quieted the dog as she gripped a kunai and carefully made her way forward. She could smell smoke now from a fire but couldn't see any flames of hear any talking. Had they sensed her coming? Were they waiting for her?

Before she knew it Hana appeared out into the clearing without anyone attacking her. A still smoking fire sat in the middle of the clearing as if had been put out barely five minutes ago. After a minute of waiting Hana assumed that the coast was clear - they weren't waiting to ambush her.

Whistling her tired companions to her side, Hana walked around the clearing a bit, but couldn't find anything that showed her why they would have left so suddenly. Maybe they had sensed her coming and run away? But it was unlikely that they were that cowardly; she was only one ninja - and not Akatsuki standard.

Yue was growling by the fire and so Hana joined him, crouching down to see what he had found. A slightly darker patch of earth than that around it caught her eye and, taking Yue's place, Hana lowered her head to peer closely at the spot. On closer inspection the liquid appeared to be blood. Had they already had a fight then?

_Unlikely,_ Hana answered with a frown - the amount of blood was actually very small. It was confusing her.

Katsu had found their trail - and this time she didn't need the dogs to see the path they had taken. Their clumsiness was not like Akatsuki, and if Katsu and Yue hadn't been saying otherwise, Hana would have seriously doubted that she was following the right targets.

_They must be in a hurry_, she concluded although she couldn't guess anymore as to why.

There were two of them and they were heading into the hills, towards Suna. Should she continue following them, Hana wondered wearily, or should she return to Konoha now and report that they were travelling away from the ninja city? Her provisions would last for another day or two, if she was sparing, but she wasn't sure if it was worth it. If her tracking squad were still with her she would be able to send a messenger back whilst continuing her tracking, but they had gone now.

Sitting down on a nearby hill and calling Yue and Katsu to her, Hana procured some paper and a pen from her rucksack. Writing a quick note explaining her situation, she reluctantly attached the message to Yue. It was a pain, having to send one of her tracking dogs back alone when they were both so tired, but she thought it was probably the best thing to do.

After giving them both some chicken to keep their spirits up, Hana dispatched Yue with a pat and a push towards Konoha before following the trail of crushed grass with Katsu.

Just as the first rays of dawn appeared on the horizon through the maze of hills, the first drops of rain began to fall.

* * *

How many hours had it been since they had last talked? How many hours since the light had disappeared? It was cold in the cave and Deidara wished he had his cloak; the thin, hospital pajamas offered little protection. It was unlikely that he would ever wear an Akatsuki cloak again though; or the ring. Without them he felt naked, the familiar weight at his waist also gone – lost when he discarded his clay pouches into the trees just outside Konoha. At least it wasn't raining like it had been then.

_Ino… _Whenever Deidara stopped thinking about other things his thoughts automatically focused in on the blonde haired beauty. What did love feel like, Sasori had asked. Deidara wasn't sure that he could answer anymore. Empty? Sore? It was like someone had cut his heart and it was bleeding – the warmth flowing out and leaving him cold. Cold and empty. It should hurt but he was numb. Freezing even. Was that really just the temperature of the cave?

_Why did my last words have to be so hurtful? Why did I leave her there for the wolves to take? I can't tell you what love feels like Sasori because I don't think I was ever in love. I couldn't have been to leave her there although I knew the dangers. I couldn't have been in love with her._

He couldn't stand it, these thoughts. Everything to do with her was painful and he didn't want to think about it. Yet his mind kept replaying the argument and every time he saw it Deidara became more distressed – angry at himself and his behaviour. Why couldn't he have just told her he'd seen the Akatsuki? He'd been too proud to admit that he had been mistaken about them being safe? What kind of an excuse was that? It was pitiful, how stupid he had been.

_I've got to stop thinking about this, hm_, Deidara concluded sensibly. _It's only making me more worked up._

He had to distract himself somehow but every memory he brought up linked back to her in some way. He thought of speaking but couldn't find anything to say. He had never thought about killing in this way before. It had been a necessary part of life – everybody died, so why not speed up the process? Sure it upset some people but they should just grow up and deal with it – everyone lost someone at some point in life. Suddenly though it was a crime against a set of morals that hadn't existed before.

_Oh just grow up and deal with it,_ Deidara told himself sullenly, like he had wanted to tell so many other bereaved families. _It's a part of life – everyone has to lose someone at some point. Everyone dies, so why not speed up the process? It doesn't matter anyway. You're going to die at some point too. Everyone does. Everyone dies. So why are you crying over one life cut short? If you care that much you should be crying for everyone, because they're all going to die, hm. You should be crying every hour of every day for everyone who's just died or is about to. And if you don't then you shouldn't cry at all. And if you do then there isn't any point in your existence. If all you do is cry, what's the point in life? You may as well die too._

'Don't you have your clay? I suppose we could try to blow our way out of here. Can't do any harm anyw-'

'No. I threw it away when Zetsu nearly killed me, hm.'

'Oh.'

Not wanting to stop the conversation lest his thoughts return to Ino, Deidara saw an opening and jumped on it. 'Um, how come Itachi and Kisame got involved? Did Zetsu tell on us like I said he would, hm?'

'No.'

For a moment there was no speaking and Deidara found himself returning to thoughts of Ino. Then, as if he had heard his silent plea for help, Sasori continued, 'I did. I thought you were dead – Zetsu said as much. I, mm, needed help.'

_Oh? Sasori would never have admitted that before. He sounds awkward saying it now, hm. It's only been a day and yet he's changed so much!_

'Sakura? What happened to her? Did you take her with you?'

'No, I killed her,' Sasori replied as if it was obvious – what else would he have done with her? Deidara's suggestion had been stupid and now the blonde couldn't help but smile, if only briefly – perhaps Sasori hadn't changed as much as he had first thought.

_When I first joined Akatsuki that's what I thought too. But lately I've thought it was better not to kill so much. I was arguing with Sasori about it before I fought Zetsu, wasn't I? I can't remember what I said though._ Deidara lifted a hand to his neck and lightly traced the bandages there. It had been healed back at the hospital but bandaged to stop him from injuring it further – he could probably take the protection off now but he left it, just to be safe.

'You should get some rest – you sound tired,' Sasori advised from the darkness and Deidara laughed. He was about to explain that he couldn't sleep even if he wanted to with his memories when there came the distinct and unmistakable sound of rock on rock. It sounded as if something had disturbed the smaller rocks at the top of the fall, sending them rolling down the slope to the bottom. Someone was outside.

Deidara held his breath, wondering if he should shout to attract their attention or not. Were they friends or enemies? With Sasori and himself being in the bingo book it was more likely to be the latter, but it might be better than being stuck in the tunnel to die. More rocks were dislodged and some light swearing was heard, the voice gruff. Deciding that there was only person he knew who owned a voice that rough and swore so politely, Deidara glanced towards where he knew Sasori to be sitting. He wished that he had pressured Sasori into answering his first question but didn't think he had time to ask it again now; _is the Akatsuki trying to kill me?_

'Kisame!' Sasori cried thankfully; 'I'm under your feet – now hurry the hell up and get me out of here!'

* * *

How was It?

Reviews, as always, are very welcome. I love criticism (although I obviously love praise as well) so feel free to express your views. I reply to them if I think something needs answering so you can ask questions as well.:D

As an aside…this fanfic should be nearing completion (well…I'm hoping it won't reach 30 chapters) so I'm going to be polling for endings soon because I like reader participation. I've got one planned out if there isn't much interest but I'd quite like to know vague desires – such as; happy ending, sad ending or somewhere inbetween?

Thankyou for reading. You've made my day.:D

Love,

~WfCPxxx


	24. Plant the Seeds

Hey All!

Ok, so it's been a little while...I did tell you last time I had mocks after chirstmas so that's a bit of an excuse. Otherwise I got stuck thinking on a little bit of complicated plot that will be put in place in the next two-three chapter starting now. It's a necessary part of the story plot but it got complicated (arg, why couldn't I be like Itachi (or Sasori in this fic actually since he's the one doing all the thinking here)!). So yeah, at least it's finally here. Hopefully the next won't be so long in coming. I'm having to work towards the real exams but oh well. :]  
As an aside, who's been enjoying the snow recently (or hasn't anyone else got any)? I live in a rural part of England on top of a hill so school has been off and snowball fights on. =D I'm hoping for another day off on Monday. :] :]

* * *

'Kisame!' Sasori cried thankfully; 'I'm under your feet – now hurry the hell up and get me out of here!'

* * *

Sasori had missed the light of the sun. Although he hadn't been in the cave for more than several hours, he had begun to resign himself to a fate of never seeing the sun again - so it was almost a novelty to see the glowing, golden rays. The taste of fresh air was also pleasant, but he wasn't sure that it made up for the discontentment he felt over his conversation with Deidara. It hadn't gone as he'd planned it to, although he hadn't really _planned_ it as such. Either way, he wished he could have done it again because it felt empty and incomplete when he thought back to it, leading to his discomfort.

At least he had gotten over the fact that Deidara was alive, not dead. At least he had fully accepted _that_…although he wasn't sure exactly how it made him feel. Perhaps that was due to his restricted emotions though. After the last couple of days he felt drained and lifeless.

They were heading back to Konohagakure now, all of them together. It was quicker to run as a group without 'captives' and so neither Ino nor Deidara were tied or restricted in anyway, although Sasori noted that Itachi had kept less than a metre away from Ino the whole journey - presumably this would stop Deidara from trying anything as well.

_Rather her than me_, Sasori thought dryly, watching the Uchiha's dark hair streaming out behind him as he jumped from tree to tree beside the blonde girl. Kisame was to Sasori's left and Deidara was a couple of metres in front, just behind and to the right of Ino.

With the Yamanaka girl out in front, the group travelled at a slower speed than they might have otherwise, but Sasori didn't mind as this gave him time to think. He hadn't answered Deidara's question as to whether the Akatsuki were trying to kill him because he didn't know. He assumed that Itachi and Kisame, being the last ones to hear from Pein-sama, would know better - but as of yet they hadn't made any move to kill Deidara so perhaps he was safe.

When they next stopped to rest the sun was beginning to set. They could reach Konohagakure before it disappeared completely if they continued at their original pace, but they would have to get passed the guards again - and it would be harder entering than exiting. Thus it was decided that they would camp for a few hours for those who hadn't had time to sleep for more than a day and so reach Konohagakure in the early hours of the morning, just before the guard change when they would be the least alert.

'Sasori, please come - I need to speak with you,' murmured the soft voice that Sasori had come to dislike so much from his right. Had Itachi picked up the manners from his polite partner, or was that just supposed to act as an extra incentive for him to follow? Either way, it sounded more like condescension to Sasori. He followed anyway, though careful to keep the camp in view.

'Perhaps you already know what I want to say?' Itachi wondered, careful eyes fixed on Sasori's face warily. Sasori shook his head. 'Well then, it's about Deidara. Do you know what Leader-sama wanted us to do?'

'I could guess,' Sasori muttered back dryly, glancing over to where Deidara was busy making the camp; Kisame, under Itachi's orders, was keeping an eye on Ino as she helped. Seeing Itachi's invitingly raised eyebrow Sasori expanded, 'well if he isn't willing to return to us then we kill him, right?'

Itachi smiled. 'Hmm, yes. Unfortunately it's made more difficult. Pein, you see, obviously doesn't want Deidara's little friend left alive.'

'I could have guessed that as well,' Sasori replied, letting his gaze linger on Ino for a few moments more. 'You're right, of course,' he admitted grudgingly; 'that does make it a lot more difficult. Deidara has no more loyalty left for the Akatsuki now. He gave it all to Ino. He thinks he loves her.'

'Well done, you're on the right lines now - can you guess my plan?'

The condescension was really getting to Sasori but he managed to control himself after closing his eyes for a couple of seconds. Instead he said with some forced calmness; 'Why should I guess? You're resolved to tell me anyway and I find no real pleasure in amusing you.'

Itachi laughed, although it was soft to avoid those in the clearing hearing him. Sasori realised, with some dissatisfaction, that he had managed to amuse the Uchiha even more than he would have had he guessed; perhaps Itachi had been waiting for him to snap.

'True, I will tell you,' was the thoughtful reply, the condescension gone now that it had served it's purpose. 'You told me that Deidara doesn't have any loyalty for the Akatsuki now because he loves the Yamanaka girl, right?' Although Itachi paused, the question was rhetorical so Sasori gave no answer. 'So all we need to do is stop him loving her.'

'And you propose to do that how?' Sasori interrupted sharply, genuinely curious although he hid behind a mask of cold indifference. Itachi laughed again; _why do I amuse him so?_

'Simple. I show him that the love of his life loves someone else.'

'And this someone else is…?' Sasori finally replied, something inside of him telling him that the plan wouldn't work.

'Me.' Perhaps Itachi saw the doubt in Sasori's eyes because he smiled again. 'Oh believe me, it really won't be hard. It seems like the girl has an affinity for S-class missing-nins and I gather she used to admire my little brother. Besides, I've already begun. I have no doubt that I can pull this off, Sasori; no doubt at all.'

'Of course not. You never doubt yourself,' Sasori bit back before he could stop himself. 'But do you think seeing his love blushing at someone else is going to stop him loving her? And if it does, do you think he'll join the organisation that took his love away?' Here Sasori paused to let his words sink in.

'No. No, he won't do that,' he continued a moment later, 'even if it _is_ the most sensible option. Deidara isn't like that. He'd look like a fool. Just think about it from his point of view for a moment. For him to have left the Akatsuki behind in the first place there must have been a good reason and Ino is that reason. Akatsuki was his life - and so leaving it for Ino transferred that burden of admiration and trust onto her. Imagine what would happen if Ino mistreated that love, hm? Imagine if she shattered it. Because it has already been transferred away from the Akatsuki he isn't just going to go back there - especially when it shows him how much time he's wasted chasing after a lost cause. No, that would make him look foolish and Deidara hates being thought foolish.  
'Instead, with his trust broken, Deidara wouldn't trust anyone. He would run or fight and live for himself - not return to us. If you really want to get Deidara back then you will have to earn his trust whilst he still has trust to earn - and that doesn't involve kissing his pretty companion. Quite the opposite in fact. I suggest you leave her well alone.'

For a while Itachi was silent, staring at Sasori thoughtfully as his mind processed the words and began anew the task of plan-formulating and for once, elated by his verbal victory, Sasori was able to meet his gaze. They were cold eyes, made of hard black onyx, yet Sasori could see the calculating mind behind them and it interested him. Itachi had been described as a prodigy, a genius, a whole new level of being - and yet even though Sasori could see how clever he was, his plan had been flawed. He was human - although his fluid way of moving and his quick mind and easy but cold manner of killing screamed otherwise. So Sasori was interested, and unwittingly took a step closer. Then Itachi blinked and the spell was broken. Sasori immediately retreated, feeling desperately self-conscious as he breathed shallowly, unaware that he had been holding his breath for a while. A hand on his arm pulled him further into the trees and away from the inquisitive eyes of the clearing.

'They're watching us,' Itachi intoned as way of explanation as they walked, 'so we shouldn't be much longer. I don't want to leave Kisame as guardian on his own for long - although he will be able to keep an attack at bay until I can help.' Sasori didn't respond, but was glad when the Uchiha released his arm; he was beginning to feel less animosity towards the prodigy, but that didn't mean he was comfortable with him.

'I trust your judgement of your partner over mine, as you've spent more time with him, so if what you say is true then I suggest you talk to him and try to 'earn his trust' as you put it. After all, he's more likely to listen to you than me. Oh! And I suggest you finish before we pack up camp - it would be a nuisance to have a rebellion from him when we reach Konohagakure, wouldn't it?'

'I'm not sure that will work either,' Sasori admitted slowly. 'Deidara and I aren't on the best of terms right now.'

'Then you'll have to work slightly harder,' Itachi replied simply. At a doubtful look from Sasori however he expanded; 'Look, Sasori, we're similar - you and I. Oh, don't look so surprised about it. I know we may not get on very well but that's often the case between like-minded people. But I know that Akatsuki works in a certain way, and each pair is chosen carefully. We may have different talents, but each pair has similar traits. For instance each pair has a leader - the one who formulates plans and takes responsibility.  
'There - can you see where I'm going with this? _You _are the leader of your pair, just as _I_ am the leader of mine - and Kakuzu was of his - and, trust me, if you play your cards right you can obtain a very helpful subordinate.'

'Deidara isn't a subordinate and I don't want him to be. He may have his stupid moments but you have no right to degrade him when you yourself admitted not long ago that you know so very little about him.'

'Ahaha,' Itachi laughed genuinely. 'No wonder he loved you so much - you have so much honour!' He was still smirking but it held less triumph and superiority than his other smiles had. Instead Itachi seemed curious, as if he wasn't sure what to make of his fellow Akatsuki member.

'I don't think 'loved' is the right word,' Sasori corrected tersely and Itachi blinked, his inspection finished and smiles long faded.

'No,' he disagreed simply, 'I may not know you or your partner particularly well, and I know that pairs rarely interact, but I have seen Deidara look at you with admiration and that, if anywhere, was where he laid his trust in the organisation. Perhaps he joined for power, or money, or revenge, but he stayed because of you, not because of fear - and small disputes are easily sorted.'

Sasori opened his mouth to interrupt but Itachi had apparently had enough because he held a finger to his lips to silence him. 'No. Now we must return - but I will leave it up to you as to whether Deidara is attacking with us tomorrow or satisfying the hunger of our plant-like friend.'

And with that he turned and they walked in silence the short distance back to the camp.

* * *

Shikamaru ended up staying at Kurenai's until the afternoon of the next day; Tuesday. When he had woken in the morning Kurenai was up and had already taken her son to school but seemed reluctant to let him leave, despite how she had told him not to get too close last night in case fate targeted him as well. So he had spent the morning and some of the afternoon with her, talking a bit but mainly just comforting her with his presence.

He walked her to the school where she picked up her child but left her then, knowing that his mother would worry if he didn't contact her soon - and besides, he didn't want Kurenai to become _too_ dependant on him.

_How troublesome…_ Shikamaru mused as he walked away from the school, listening to the excited voices of the children who had just been let out. _How troublesome that I should feel as if looking after her is my duty. How troublesome that I should feel emotionally attached…and how troublesome that I don't have something to do to take my mind off of her or Ino or Chouji. I can't even hope for a mission because I would be worrying about them when I left. With the Akatsuki nearby though I even have _reason_ to worry!_

Grimacing, he ran a hand over his face and closed his eyes. He stood still for a moment then, wondering where he should go or what he should do. He didn't feel like going home and yet he had nothing else to do. _I could train_, he suddenly thought, remembering another option. _Because I'm a back-line strategist I don't normally physically train as much as the others do…but I know that I should still be learning new techniques. After all, there won't always be a team there to take the front line for me._

Thus thinking, Shikamaru started towards the gates of Konoha. Although there were training spots inside the walls he had always preferred to train in the woods just outside. It felt more secluded there, although he was close enough to the town to be easily summoned, and he felt more comfortable training on his own.

There were less guards on the wall than there had been before. This really struck Shikamaru because it didn't seem to make any sense. He had heard about Akatsuki being near the town - of course he had - so why wasn't there more support on the walls? Surely the main priority was to keep the Akatsuki out of the town and away from the citizens right now, no?

_Well, unless they were already inside the-_ Shikamaru suddenly stopped, frozen. _Of course!_ It clicked into place and then everything made sense. The Akatsuki were already inside the town - that's why there weren't as many guards on the walls - because they didn't want to keep the Akatsuki _out_, so there was no need to guard the walls closely. But, in that case, why hadn't he seen the ANBU wandering the town? He could understand why he hadn't heard a public announcement because that would cause panic and alert the Akatsuki as to the village knowing their position - but the only reason he could think of as to why he hadn't seen extra ANBU members wandering the streets was that Tsunade already knew where the Akatsuki were…or what they were after.

Shikamaru felt like turning and running back to Kurenai, just to make sure she was alright. There was no reason for them to target her but the fear clawed at him anyway. It took a lot of effort to assure himself of her safety; _she's no use to them. They don't need her. There's no reason why they would._ But, then again, why had they taken Ino? What possible use could they have had with her? And was she back in the village with them now? Or was she…_no_, Shikamaru ended firmly; _I'm not going to think that._

'Excuse me!' The ANBU member Shikamaru had called out to looked around in surprise at the loud exclamation but Shikamaru wasn't bothered about disturbing him just then.

'Please, can you tell me where the rest of the ANBU unit have gone to?' He asked, his voice quieter now that he was nearer so that the people around him who had looked up at his call couldn't hear what was said. He couldn't see because of the woman's mask, but he thought she was frowning at him because he could feel intuitively that she distrusted him. Annoyed, he tried to convince her of his credibility; 'I'm a Konohagakure Shinobi - Nara Shikamaru - perhaps you've heard of my father? I need to know. This is important, so please tell me. Where have the rest of your unit been sent?'

For a while he didn't think she was going to answer, but then she spoke; 'Oh - Nara's son, right? Please don't think me rude, but I've been ordered to keep our recent orders secret. You should ask Tsunade about it since you're so desperate.'

He wanted to hit her, really he did, despite his strict moral code - but in the end he simply bowed his head slightly before turning and hurrying back into the village. From what she had told him he came to the conclusion that the ANBU's orders must have come straight from Tsunade. _God, I hope she knows what she's doing,_ he prayed silently as he ran past the citizens towards the Hokage's building.

The sun was beginning to set.

* * *

The camp didn't take long to set up because they didn't want to risk a fire - so all it really involved was clearing some of the ground and finding some moss to cover it with. Ino was aware, when she was helping Deidara, of the beady eyes fixed on her and she sighed. Itachi had been watching her up until then and she knew that it had been on his orders that Kisame now watched her. It wasn't even as if she was the one they were worried about! That was Deidara - but they knew that he wouldn't try anything whilst she was in danger, and she saw that he noticed the way they were guarding her.

Itachi had disappeared into the trees a little way with Sasori - but the next time she looked up they had moved out of sight. The camp was finished by the time they came back and Ino was sitting a few meters away from Deidara on the moss. Nobody had said they couldn't talk but it was as if there was an unspoken rule about it anyway and so they sat in silence although she occasionally caught him looking at her. She felt like a criminal although, actually, her captors were the real criminals. What had she done to deserve this?

When Itachi returned he didn't go near her anymore. The glances he had been giving her and the proximity of before were gone. It confused her although she was glad because it had made feel uncomfortable. She had thought he fancied her - but how could he change so quickly if that were so?

_And why do I feel slightly disappointed, even though I'm glad? I _should_ be happy that he's stopped - but it doesn't feel right. Perhaps I was just proud that someone so clever and powerful had fallen for me - although I think he affected me more than I affected him. Maybe I was just a fool and thought he loved me because I wanted that and because I enjoyed his attention._

Sasori was slightly different as well. He looked less awkward than he had before talking to Itachi, but he was also more subdued. What had they talked about? Ino's curiosity rose as she saw that Sasori kept glancing at Deidara as if sizing him up. Had they been discussing Deidara then? What were they going to do with him...with _them_? At least they hadn't threatened them or killed them yet…but Ino couldn't believe that it would continue like that. Not for a long time anyway.

Itachi took the first watch but Ino couldn't sleep. Kisame snored loudly which didn't help but although she thought Deidara might be asleep she was proved wrong when Sasori got up and whispered something to him, causing him to rise warily and glance at her before walking with Sasori into the trees. Itachi didn't stop them and Ino realised that whatever he and Sasori had talked about earlier was probably taking place now. She itched to follow them (what if Deidara was in trouble…?) but knew that Itachi wouldn't let her. Instead she simply waited.

They returned what seemed to Ino a lifetime later, but she was immediately relieved to see that Deidara was unscathed; _what did he agree to?_ She thought, surprised at her own pessimism. Then again, it was unlikely that they would just be having a friendly chat. Sasori took the next watch after a muted conversation with Itachi.

Although Ino tried to sleep or at least to simply rest where she was and think, she found it impossible and, even though she knew that at least three of her companions were still wide awake, she sat up. Sasori was staring at her.

'Go back to sleep Ino - you need to rest.'

He wasn't very far away and he spoke in a low, tired voice, but Ino knew that she wasn't the only one who had heard. Kisame was probably the only one who _hadn't_ heard.

'Why do I need to rest? So I can help you destroy my town tomorrow?' Here she laughed, her voice no longer kept low; after all, almost everyone was listening anyway. '…_Not likely'_.

Deidara also sat up now, a metre to her left, and shot her a deadly serious warning glance. What was he trying to tell her? That they would kill her if she continued? _Well they want to kill me anyhow and they probably will later. What's the difference? I might as well go down kicking and screaming. _

'At least be considerate of others then. _You_ may not want to sleep, but I think Kisame does,' Sasori murmured, his voice no louder than before despite Ino's raised tones.

Ino wasn't sure if Kisame was still asleep or not but, frankly, she didn't care. Why should she be considerate of others when they weren't considerate of her? How did Sasori expect her to be _considerate_ of the people who planned to destroy her town and kill Naruto?

Ino opened her mouth to give a scathing reply but stopped when Deidara caught her eye. He still had that same warning look in his eyes and somehow she simply couldn't bring herself to disobey him. She couldn't endanger herself whilst he was near because she couldn't bear the desperate way he silently pleaded with her. Instead, with her voice forcibly lowered, Ino replied slowly,

'Then let's go somewhere where I don't have to be considerate.'

She was surprised when Sasori _didn't_ smile an amused smile, and even more taken aback when, instead of refusing her proposal, he looked to Itachi as if asking for permission. _Wait! When did he begin to acknowledge Itachi as leader? He's always been sullen and adverse to him before - and now he's asking his permission to talk to me alone?_

Itachi was lying down, although obviously not asleep, and must have given an affirmative answer to Sasori's inquisitive glance because a moment later and Sasori rose from where he had been sitting and beckoned Ino to follow him. Making sure to avoid Deidara's accusing and worried eyes, Ino obeyed.

Ino didn't think they would go very far but Sasori must have been expecting her to shout a lot because they travelled for several minutes through the trees before he was satisfied that they had gone far enough and stopped. For a while there was silence as they faced each other. Ino had been silently berating herself as they walked because she didn't know what she was going to say. At the time it had seemed like a good idea to be controversial and difficult, but now she didn't know how to continue.

'Well?' Sasori prompted after several long seconds had passed. 'Is there anything else you want to rant about whilst we're here?'

He seemed to have gained his old air of self-importance and cold indifference, which made it harder for Ino to talk to him. She had been uncomfortable back in the clearing where Deidara had run away from her when Sasori had been so out of control - but at least it had showed her that he had changed, which complemented her own change of character. Now though she simply felt stupid in his presence; why hadn't he changed when she had?

'What did you say to Deidara earlier?' She asked instead when she felt that it was necessary to speak. Her voice was no longer loud. Sasori didn't answer her. 'Was it what you and Itachi were talking about earlier?' She continued, unperturbed. For a while Sasori remained silent, looking up at the stars clearly visible in the dark sky through the many leaves gently swaying in the cool breeze.

'Among other things,' he finally agreed, glancing at her thoughtfully. 'Ino…do you really like Deidara?'

There was that question again! He had asked it back when he was fighting Itachi as well. Why did it matter to him so much? Why did he care? Ino didn't know how to answer him. Did he want another favour from her? What was he getting at?

'I-yes,' she answered hesitantly although she wasn't even sure if that was right. _Did_ she really like Deidara? Sasori had heard her hesitation - it was obvious from the way he was staring pointedly at her with such disapproval.

'Don't lie to me,' he reminded, annoyed; 'You're so bad at it!'

_What a reason!_ Ino thought, astounded. So was it alright if she lied so long as she lied convincingly? She was about to wonder this out loud when Sasori began speaking again, his tone frustrated.

'I ask because I know that he cares about _you_, and I can't for the life of me see why! Yes, you're pretty - but that's not a valid reason for him to risk his life. No…if I thought you were clever then I might believe you'd tricked him - but I can't even give you _that_ quality. Then I could only assume that he enjoyed the faithful and undivided, doting attention you give him but I am forced to listen to the Uchiha boasting about how easily he makes you blush!' He paused then as if to catch his breath, his composure broken; _At least_, Ino thought gratefully,_ I can see now that he _has_ changed, even if he still wants to act as if he hasn't_. Yet there was so much she wanted to say and criticize about him now. _I mean, is that really how you go about talking to the girl your partner cares about?_ She asked him silently in her head; _When you seem to care about him so much yourself, insulting me isn't going to help you any, is it? And what's this about Itachi boasting?_

'What does he see in you, Ino?' Sasori wondered, staring at her desperately as if she could give him the answer. She wasn't Deidara though. She didn't know. In answer she simply shook her head.

'May I ask you something?' She wondered afterwards, perversely more calm than her companion was. When he didn't reply she continued quietly, 'About Itachi. You said he was boasting about me…' Unsure how to continue Ino left it hanging, hoping Sasori would pick up on what she meant and expand his earlier point. After a while of staring up at the stars again he sighed and turned back to her.

'What about it? You're pretty. He's egocentric. If I didn't know you very well and was in his position I might boast about it too.'

The subtle hint that her personality marred her attraction was lost on Ino who was still thinking about Itachi. She had realised earlier that he had been playing with her emotions but she couldn't see why. Was boasting really the answer? Was Uchiha Itachi really that shallow?

'Is that really what he thought?' She mused aloud; 'Is that what you'd have done?'

'Those are two completely unrelated questions,' was the terse reply. Perhaps he had picked up on the suggestion that Itachi and he thought similarly. Or perhaps he was just tired of talking about the Uchiha to the untalented girl his partner liked. Either way Ino dropped the conversation, content to ponder it silently in the quiet that followed. Sasori closed his eyes then and Ino felt his chakra thin and spread out as he searched the surrounding area for any other, unwanted chakras. Unused to the feeling, Ino shivered and tried to block the chakra with a barrier of her own faintly blue coloured power but Sasori cut off his supply a moment later anyhow, coming over to stand barely half a metre away from her. Ino wondered if she should move away but, deciding that there must be a reason for the intimacy, she stayed put.

'I don't like you so I didn't want to tell you this - but what I told Deidara earlier wasn't exactly what Itachi thinks I did. In fact…it's drastically different. ' He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts together and formulate the right words. 'Itachi believes that Deidara has finally seen sense and agreed to help us after we've killed you - which is to be tomorrow morning because that buys Deidara and me some time to think. Actually I've agreed with Deidara that before you're supposed to be murdered tomorrow we'll create some kind of distraction and you can escape into Konoha.' He laughed at her relief; 'What, did you think I would tell you if I intended to let you be killed?'

Ino wasn't sure what to say back. If Sasori hated her so much, why would he agree to help her escape from her pre-planned death? Was he telling the truth? Sasori answered her though before she could ask out loud.

'Of course I'm not doing this because I give a damn about you - I'm doing it because Deidara wouldn't agree to anything else I suggested and I don't want Itachi to turn on him for being awkward.'

'So you're doing it for Deidara?' Ino wondered when Sasori paused. He ignored her.

'I want you to wait in the Hokages' faces where you took us before. Deidara will meet you there and, in the ensuing panic of the town, the blonde lovebirds can fly away to live their happily-ever-after, yes? Sounds like a feasible plan? Good. Then let's get back before the genius thinks something's wrong.' Finished, Sasori turned and began to walk briskly back to the camp, leaving Ino standing there for a few moments before she hurried after him, annoyed that he hadn't even given her a chance to agree to his plan.

'How is Deidara going to get away to meet me?' She hissed in a low tone when she was near enough and Sasori stopped with a sigh, turning to face her as she also came to an abrupt halt.

'I'll worry about that, not you. I need you to promise me something though - can you do that?' The question was rhetorical because Sasori knew Ino would want to know what it was before she promised him anything. 'Promise me you'll wait, yes? Wait in the Hokages' faces for Deidara. Just wait, OK? Promise me.'

It was like a film, wasn't it? In films people always said they'd wait and then didn't - but Ino wasn't sure if she'd break the rules like that. In the films it normally turned out alright, but this wasn't a film, was it?

'Alright, I promise,' Ino finally agreed and she meant it - although she was perfectly open to the fact that, when the time came, her mind might have changed. After all, why should she worry about breaking a promise between Sasori and herself? She didn't care about Sasori at all, and he certainly didn't care about her.

They returned to the clearing where Ino laid back down by Deidara but turned her back to him, refusing to meet his eyes in case he was still angry at her for making a fuss and talking to Sasori. When she heard how deep and slow his breathing was though she turned back over to see that he was asleep; had he really been that tired, or did he just not care enough for her safety to make sure she came back unscathed?

_At least I know what he agreed with Sasori now. _That_ was for my safety so I guess I should be happy. But that plan for us to escape together…it means deserting Konohagakure and Naruto. Maybe, when I escape, I should go to Tsunade and warn her first - but then I don't think I'd be allowed to go to the Hokages' faces. So I've got to choose between patriotism to my town and the people in it, or love for the man who risked his life for me._

After a while of thinking Ino opened her eyes to gaze fondly at Deidara's sleeping face. He looked troubled.

_I'm sorry Tsunade - but I've made my choice._

_

* * *

_

Ok, so that's the end of this chapter! Hopefully the next one won't be so long in coming.  
Um, to fully understand the next chapter or two it might be worth noting what Sasori says to people in this one but I'll remind you to check back when I post the next one (at least I intend to, although I might forget ;]).  
Also, are you following the timing? I try to keep all of the story threads at roughly the same time period - so at the minute it's Tuesday afternoon/evening. :]

Completely unrelated, but does anyone else like watching Midsummer Murders? I'm watching at the minute so I was just wondering. :]

Ok! Reviews are very very welcome. =D

(Also for valentines day I might get a short oneshot out, not sure what pairing but probably crack. Not a DeiIno because this is DeiIno but thought you might want to know. ;])

~WfCP  
xxx


	25. And Watch Them Grow

Hello All!

Wah, sorry it took so long - actually I don't know exactly how long it took (about a month?), but I know it was a while so sorry! To be fair, I did have to write a oneshot in between (go check it out - it's a SasoSaku one I wrote for Valentines day to show all of you who were annoyed about me killing Sakura that, actually, I do really like the pairing!!). :]

Still, here it is. I have something else to say, but I'll put it at the bottom because I think more people read the notes down there. :]

Enjoy!

* * *

_So I've got to choose between patriotism to my town and the people in it, or love for the man who risked his life for me._

After a while of thinking Ino opened her eyes to gaze fondly at Deidara's sleeping face. He looked troubled.

__

I'm sorry Tsunade - but I've made my choice.

* * *

What had Sasori told Ino when they had walked into the woods barely three hours ago? Deidara had accidentally fallen asleep after he'd seen them go - but he knew that Sasori wouldn't harm her anyway. Deidara, after his talk with Sasori several hours ago, was convinced that his former partner was on his side. They had agreed to set up a distraction before they reached Konohagakure that morning so that Ino could escape into the city and hide. After he had helped them to capture the Kyuubi Deidara would also be allowed to go - or Sasori would help him escape - and he could meet up with Ino. Deidara assumed that Sasori had told Ino the plan because she had been glancing at him ever since she had woken up, a spark of conspiratorial secrecy in her eyes, but he wished that Ino would be more careful - Itachi also kept looking at them as if he knew what they were thinking about.

They were currently running towards Konohagakure although they weren't progressing as fast as they could. The guard change wasn't for more than two hours yet, although Deidara assumed that Itachi had been leaving time for Ino's murder beforehand when he had suggested setting out so early. Sasori hadn't had another chance to talk to him yet, discussing the distraction they were supposed to be organising, so Deidara could only hope that everything would go well - after all, Sasori was smart; _he'll have thought of something by now._ Even so, Sasori hadn't so much as glanced at him since he had fallen asleep last night.

Kisame was guarding Ino now, running next to her like Itachi had been yesterday. Today Itachi ran behind Deidara who, in turn, kept behind Sasori. Deidara wasn't sure he preferred these arrangements - Itachi unnerved him and he was beginning to get paranoid about the black haired prodigy knowing about their plan.

They stopped when Itachi suddenly sped ahead of them all and jumped down from the trees off to the left where a small patch of new grass was beginning to grow in a clearing where a few charred tree stumps were still visible. It probably used to look quite pretty but now it boded ill omens and stank of destruction; it made Deidara feel uneasy as, when he looked, Sasori was still avoiding his eyes.

Ino kept on looking over at him but this time her glance held more emotion than before. She was scared, hopeful, trusting. Why did she have to trust him when he didn't know what he was doing? In turn he looked to Sasori but was rejected once more. _What are you doing? Look at me! Tell me something! Are you on my side or not, hm?_

For a few moments there was silence and no one moved. It was like a freeze frame, as if they were all trying to gauge what the others were thinking like in a fight - formulating counter plans and strategies. Then Kisame, the person least likely to be constructing complicated counter plots, spoke up. He spoke to Itachi.

'What are you waiting for? Let's just do this already.'

Despite his sleep Kisame seemed to be more grouchy and impatient than before. Perhaps he had had a bad dream but Deidara could see that that didn't matter to Ino as Itachi nodded silently and she was suddenly seized from behind by the shark-nin, a kunai held to her throat and a strong hand covering her mouth. She could still struggle but the cold metal against her throat was threatening enough to stop her, her eyes boring holes into Deidara's own; more fear and less hope present than before.

He quickly averted his eyes, unable to match the pleading gaze, and directed one of his own to his red haired companion. He expected rejection again but, to his surprise, Sasori suddenly glanced up to meet his eyes. The look was unmistakable to Deidara who was used to fighting with Sasori; it was the look the puppet master always gave him as a signal to fight.

Needing no more encouragement, Deidara turned back to Ino and began to run towards her and her attacker, Kisame. Without his weapons' pouch or clay bags and still dressed in a Konohagakure hospital gown Deidara wasn't sure what use he could do but he blindly assumed that Sasori would also be attacking beside him. It was a stupid assumption.

Just as Itachi drew a kunai and adopted a fighting stance ready to intercept the blonde Iwagakure nin, Deidara found himself suddenly jerked to a halt, two firm arms encircling him from behind and restraining him. At first he resisted, but seeing that Itachi and Kisame were still in front of him he stopped. Why was Sasori restraining him? Had he misinterpreted the glance? Was he not supposed to attack? _But Ino was about to die…you gave me that look…so why are you…why are you…?_

'Keep struggling, you idiot,' Deidara heard Sasori hiss mutedly from behind him so that only he could hear. 'I'm on your side so play along, ok?' It was a rhetorical question but Deidara answered physically by jerking in his former partner's grip, kicking back at him with his legs because his hands were still restrained at his sides. Sasori was weaker physically than Deidara was and he knew it. Was that part of the plan? _Was_ there a plan? Deidara, not sure anymore, endeavoured to 'play along' as Sasori had suggested. Ino's life was on the line after all.

'Somebody help me?' Sasori suggested a few moments later, his forced tone suggesting the difficulty he was having in holding Deidara back. Itachi warily moved in and lifted his kunai, ready to knock Deidara out, but Sasori quickly spoke up, stopping him.

'No wait - we need Deidara to attack the village. Just restrain him.'

'He agreed to this,' Itachi reminded quietly back, 'so his mutiny now suggests a change of heart. How can you trust him to help us destroy Konohagakure, Sasori? Your loyalty is touching but the logic is unsound.'

For a moment Deidara thought Sasori was going to let the Uchiha win - but that would completely defeat the point, wouldn't it? Sasori had told him that he was only saving Ino because, ultimately, he wanted to save Deidara - and if he didn't speak up now the main aim would be lost. Therefore it wasn't surprising when Sasori finally replied.

'I've never been in love with another human being,' he started blankly, 'but I love myself. I think Deidara is getting distressed because having Ino killed is the equivalent, for me, of having myself murdered. Even if I agreed to signing my life away, it doesn't mean there wouldn't be any regret or pain. For now let's just keep him under control, yes? He'll get over it soon enough.'

Itachi still looked dubious but switched places with Sasori none the less. Whilst Sasori had been speaking Deidara had fallen still but when Itachi began to bind him with strong rope he protested violently, lashing out at the prodigy and threatening to shout if he didn't let him go. Kisame, worried for his companion, wondered if he could help but, until he had handed Ino to Sasori to safeguard whilst he joined Itachi, Deidara couldn't work out what Sasori had in mind. Once the puppet master had the young blonde captive in his grasp though it was obvious.

_But the plan could have gone terribly wrong. Sasori couldn't have planned that perfectly, could he? Was he winging it then? Some how that's unlike him - but at least it turned out alright, hm._

There was little in the way of struggling that Deidara could do when Kisame interfered because although he was stronger physically than Sasori and even, perhaps, Itachi, Deidara couldn't even hope to boast that he was stronger than Kisame. There were very few who were. In fact he was so helpless that he didn't even see the exact moment when Ino disappeared; Kisame blocked his vision and the next time he looked she was gone.

'Shit!' Deidara heard Sasori exclaim uncharacteristically and when Kisame turned to look he saw that the red-headed puppet master's cheek was cracked - like it had been when he had first fought Sakura. Presumably Ino had hit him and, in the moment when he was least alert, had made her escape. Deidara was surprised that Sasori had actually let Ino hit him. How much his pride must have been wounded!

Deidara was almost forgotten in the surprise that he felt emanating from the shark-nin, but Itachi didn't seem so shocked and finished tying him securely before joining his other two companions. _Ino's safe then, hm. Good. Good. Now, once I've helped to capture the Kyuubi, I can join her. We can run away together and forget about the Akatsuki and Konohagakure._

* * *

Shizune had come and gone again, but Naruto was refusing to get angry about it. He had been trying to control his kyuubi fox lately, although the temptation was still there to break out of the base and be free; but then he knew that he might lose control and hurt those he loved. Like Sakura-chan, although he hadn't seen her for ages now. Or at least two weeks. Where was she? She normally visited him once a week or so, despite her busy work schedule, so it worried him that she hadn't come. Haruko and Shidaku didn't know where she was, and they were the only people he really interacted with in the base.

There had been unusual movement in the ANBU base though lately, with the members first decreasing in number and then dramatically _increasing_. What was happening? He had asked Haruko, but again he had had no answer for him. It was really frustrating, and so Naruto resolved to ask Shidaku today as well as Haruko. Maybe the village was in danger. Maybe that was why Sakura hadn't come to see him. It made sense, he thought, and so he eagerly awaited his meal time today, needing more information.

'Good afternoon, Naruto-sama,' Haruko's voice greeted cheerily as he opened the door, bearing ramen for the fox child, 'and how are you today?'

There was something about Haruko's tone that suggested his politeness was meant to be mocking but Naruto refused to rise to the bait. Instead he took the food and laid it on the floor, grabbing the back of the ANBU member's uniform to stop him leaving.

'Have you heard anything more about Sakura?' he asked pointedly and Haruko sighed before turning back around to face Naruto and shaking his head. 'And the town?' He shook his head again and Naruto growled in frustration. 'Then get me Shidaku - I want to ask him as well.'

'Yes, your highness,' Haruko replied readily as he mock bowed - but Naruto could see that the man in front of him no longer felt as energetic as he had when he'd entered; had the questions tired him somehow?

'You want to know about the town?' Shidaku wondered a moment later though as his head poked around the door; he always waited just outside the room when Haruko entered with Naruto's meal in case another fight broke out.

'Yes,' Naruto agreed bluntly, 'there's been unusual movement of the ANBU around here recently so something must be happening. Is the town in danger?'

'Oh? You're sharp!' Haruko praised Naruto's observation in surprise and received a withering look.

'Well there is nothing definite - as in, we haven't caught anyone yet although there is a lot of evidence to point to it…' Shidaku started and Naruto growled at his drawn out speech pattern.

'Get to the point,' he commanded gruffly, causing Shidaku to hesitate for a moment; perhaps he was having second thoughts about telling this unstable Naruto. 'Please,' Naruto added, his voice more controlled, 'I need to know.'

'Well there's nothing you can do about it,' Shidaku answered quickly, 'but the rumours have it that Akatsuki are on the move again.'

_Akatsuki?_ Naruto wondered in shock. It had been so long since he had heard that name, but the connotations of it had not decreased in their negativity.

'Actually,' Haruko added, forgetting that he had told Naruto earlier that he didn't know anything about the matter, 'the rumours are a bit more than just that. Part of an Akatsuki cloak has been found outside the village and two of our ninjas have been killed, one kidnapped. The Hokage thinks it's possible that they're targeting you - so that's why the guard on you has increased.'

'That's enough Haruko,' Shidaku stopped him roughly.

'But he needs to know!' Haruko protested; 'Hana our best tracker has just returned saying that she followed the Akatsuki until she was sure they were heading back to Konohagakure then overtook them whilst they were camping and reported to Tsunade. But don't worry – that's why we've increased your guard. So you're safe!'

'Two dead?' Naruto murmured, finding it hard to take it in; 'and one kidnapped?' Was it all for him? Had the Akatsuki done this because they wanted him? Were those people dead because of him?

_Who was it that got killed? Who got kidnapped? Who else is in danger?_ Naruto wondered fearfully but when he looked up, intending to voice his worries aloud, his two companions had disappeared and the door was locked again.

'Damn it,' he swore angrily before abruptly sitting down on the floor and clenching his fists.

_The Akatsuki…are really back._

* * *

'No, I didn't let her go.' Sasori denied, with cold anger, the crime accused him by the Uchiha although Itachi didn't believe him for a moment. He had heard some of the conversation Sasori had had with Ino earlier after getting suspicious when they took so long and going to check that nothing had happened. Before that he had actually believed that Sasori (and even perhaps Deidara) were on his side. How stupid he had been! He had sorely misjudged the loyalty Sasori felt to Deidara, blindly assuming that it was the same type of protectiveness he felt about Kisame; it would be a pain to lose him now they could fight together so well. He hadn't heard anything about helping Ino to escape in Sasori's plan but he could have joined the conversation late. Either way, he had been wary of the two blondes and Sasori ever since he returned to the camp just before Sasori and Ino did.

'Should I go after her?' Kisame suggested eagerly but was stopped by a shake of the head from Itachi. It was pointless to try and catch her now. It would simply draw attention to their presence near the city.

'No. She's slower than us but we're too near Konohagakure now for that to work in our favour.'

'We should follow her anyway,' Sasori disagreed, 'because we want to get past the guards before she warns the village of our attack.'

This idea reached general consensus, although the mood was downtrodden because of the extra complication - but although Itachi agreed with the principal he didn't feel comfortable consenting to anything Sasori suggested right now. Was he intending to let Deidara go as soon as the group had split up into their respective pairs? He had told Ino that that was what he was going to do yesterday - but had he been telling the whole truth? Sasori certainly wasn't adverse to lying - or, at least, bending the truth a bit.

'I think we should switch the teams around,' Itachi suggested instead, trying to come up with a plausible reason as to why he should want to do this other than him mistrusting Sasori. 'Pein-sama told me he was thinking about doing this on future missions to help us get along better.'

Deidara snorted disbelievingly from his left, still tied up but standing none the less. 'Yeah - but he didn't tell you to muck them up on this one. He'll be livid if we fail this mission because you switched the teams, hm. Besides, this is one of the missions where we most need to work together well - and we'll work best with our original partners, hm.'

'Perhaps, but Pein sent me to help you because you obviously couldn't cope on your own. Therefore I am now officially in charge of this mission and you will do as I say.' Itachi didn't pause for long, expecting the information to sink in quickly. 'Kisame will partner Deidara and I will partner Sasori. Once we've entered Konohagakure endeavour to meet near the ANBU base, but don't attack until we're reunited. Understood?'

For a moment no one spoke and Itachi frowned. Perhaps he had been too short and to the point, but Sasori was right - if they wanted to gain entrance to Konohagakure before the whole town was on the lookout for them then they would have to leave soon.

'Why do I have to go with Kisame, hm?' Deidara protested angrily but Itachi was surprised to see that he didn't shoot Sasori a worried look; wasn't he supposed to be escaping to meet up with Ino? Wouldn't being stuck with Kisame ruin their plans? Itachi considered switching the teams to see if Deidara would be more worried about that - but he refrained because he could see that Sasori wasn't very happy with the current arrangements, even though he didn't speak up.

'There's no point arguing, Deidara,' Sasori finally spoke, silencing his partner and receiving an incredulous look from him as well. 'It will just waste time and we don't have much of that. Let's go before it gets even more problematic.'

This said, Deidara was quickly untied and the two new pairs proceeded together towards the walls of Konohagakure.

* * *

He had been waiting for five hours now, pacing the corridor with clenched fists and staring out of the window anxiously. Tsunade had gone for a walk apparently because something had distressed her but she still hadn't returned and Shikamaru was beginning to worry. It might be alright for her to have time to reflect on the past during 'peace-time', but not when the Akatsuki was running around killing their ninja!

_Damn, how troublesome_, he thought with barely concealed annoyance, staring out of the window once more with tired, accusing eyes. He had considered going back to check on Kurenai, but ultimately decided not to in case Tsunade came back whilst he was gone.

_Why were there less guards? Where are the Akatsuki now? Who are they targeting?_ The questions played on his brain like a song that stuck and wouldn't go away - yet more annoying as they worried him. If Tsunade knew what she was doing then she knew where the Akatsuki were now, didn't she? She would have to, or else the ANBU would be wandering the streets or patrolling the walls. Then again, what if the Akatsuki were targeting Tsunade? What if the female Hokage had got it wrong? What if that was why she hadn't returned yet?

Just as Shikamaru began to turn away from the window though, tempted to go and search for his Hokage, he saw a familiar figure walking slowly towards the building.

_Tsunade_.

He was gone in a flash, his overly-rested legs taking out his frustration in his speed. He met her at the door, angry that she had made him worry over nothing (for she appeared perfectly fine now that he was closer), and immediately dragged her back up to her office, explaining his impatience as they went.

'I need some sake,' Tsunade finally replied when she was sitting back in her comfy office chair and Shikamaru wondered if she had even heard him. When he flatly refused to get her any alcohol though she snapped at him, making him shut up in surprise;

'Look, that was not a request, it was an order. Perhaps you think I'm being irresponsible but I'd like to see _you_ try and do my job! I've just found my best student murdered, my village is in turmoil and vulnerable to attack and now I find that there is a traitor in my ranks because I gave no such order to the ANBU. So get me that drink. Now.'

Shikamaru obediently turned and fetched the liquor. With a bottle of the bitter green liquid inside of her Tsunade was noticeably calmer and Shikamaru attempted a few more tentative questions.

'You said you didn't order the ANBU to leave the walls?' Tsunade nodded so he continued; 'Then you have no idea where they've gone?' Tsunade shook her head lifelessly but then suddenly froze and looked up to meet him in the eyes, holding up a hand to silence him.

'Wait though - I think I might know who gave that order!'

'Who?' Shikamaru demanded, knowing that he was currently in a better state to deal with things than Tsunade was. She hesitated before answering though, as if reluctant to give the name. 'I have to know who this traitor is,' Shikamaru added urgently, impatient due to his long wait earlier.

'I'm not sure it's her though,' Tsunade stated cautiously before quietly adding, 'but I think it might be Shizune - she was against my decision to increase the wall guard and decrease Naruto's ANBU guard force from the very start.'

'Shizune?' Shikamaru echoed in surprise, the thought of the quiet, obedient young woman being the traitor never having occurred to him. It was worth checking out though so, 'Ok; if she gave the order then the extra ANBU will be guarding Naruto, right? Then the only way to check is to go and see. You stay here and I'll go and ask. If you're right then I'll send the ANBU back to the walls in case the Akatsuki come back, and then I'll report - alright?'

Tsunade nodded, glad that she still had at least one of her competent ninja alive and on her side. Then Shikamaru left her, forgetting to close the door behind him in his rush. Sighing, Tsunade reached once more for the sake bottle.

* * *

For some reason there seemed to be less guards on the walls of Konohagakure than before (and there hadn't even been that many the last time they had crossed the walls). It was as if the guards gradually disappeared so that when Sasori glanced up at them he saw their numbers continually decrease. The first time he had entered the town, disguised as Ino's dad, there had been a reasonable amount of guards. After that, when he had left to search for Ino, there had still been a good number of them, although not as many, he had thought, as before. Now though it had actively decreased by quite a number. Where had they gone to? Was there a reason for their departure, or was it just bad planning? Were they searching for Ino, for the Akatsuki? Either way, Sasori couldn't really complain. It made Itachi's and his entrance into the town much easier and less reckless.

_I wasn't expecting Itachi to switch the teams_, Sasori mused as they silently traversed the town via the alleyways and shadows still present as the sun began to rise. _But this arrangement isn't wholly bad._

People were beginning to get up and some were wandering the streets now so the two Akatsuki members had to be more careful than if they had arrived earlier. Sasori knew though that, had they not been planning for more guards to be on the walls and therefore planned to reach Konohagakure as the guards changed, taking advantage of the confusion, they would have gotten here much quicker. It wasn't their fault though that they didn't know that they could have entered Konohagakure, due to the lack of guards, much sooner than they had anticipated.

_Deidara thinks I'm going to help him escape and meet up with Ino after he's helped us capture the Kyuubi, so it doesn't matter that he's stuck with Kisame. Itachi paired them up because he knew Kisame would stop Deidara escaping, but that won't be a problem because Deidara won't attempt to escape._ Sasori thought, trying to sort things out in his mind. _I told Ino to wait in the Hokage faces for Deidara and insinuated that he would follow not long after. I'm hoping that she doesn't know that I really intend him to help us before I set him free. That would complicate things; she might do something stupid if she knew. Besides, having her wait there is doubly convenient. After all, it's such a remote place that by the time someone hears her screams and comes to help I'll be long gone._

'What are you thinking, Sasori?' Itachi interrupted his thoughts bluntly. Apparently he didn't see the point in being subtle with someone he considered so similar to himself.

'I was wondering if you had a plan of attack for when we reach the ANBU base, now that you've officially taken over the mission,' Sasori lied easily back; _because I wouldn't mind hearing it actually_, he added silently afterwards.

Itachi's lack of reply spoke louder than any words could have. It told Sasori quite clearly that no, Itachi had not got a plan. He had obviously been so wrapped up in his suspicion of Sasori that the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

_To be fair, I only just thought of it now too_, Sasori defended the Uchiha although he wasn't quite sure why he did it. Either way, it was more important for him now to think of a way to give Itachi the slip so that he could put the next stage of his plan into action. The first stage had been to manipulate Deidara and Ino into believing he was on their side, subtly changing his plan for each of them so that they wouldn't suspect anything whilst still agreeing to his suggestions. The second phase was getting rid of Ino.

_Ino will be waiting in the Hokage faces for Deidara, but I'll be the one to greet her instead. She thinks I'm on her side so she won't be as suspicious as she might be otherwise, which is what I planned. It would have been easy to give Deidara the slip for five minutes whilst I killed her, but Itachi will be more difficult._

They were still quite a way from the ANBU base; Sasori remembered the general layout of Konoha from when Ino had taken Deidara and him on a tour a few days earlier. Itachi had given no indication that he had any intention of speaking further but Sasori, struck by a sudden and surprising idea, initiated the conversation.

'I lied,' he stated simply to start with, immediately catching Itachi's attention. 'That's not what I was thinking about. Do you want to know what it was I was covering up?'

Sasori half expected Itachi not to answer, but a moment later the Uchiha prodigy replied warily, 'Go on.'

Quickly suppressing a smirk, Sasori glanced out of the alleyway, wondering if they could move on yet, as he formulated the next words in his head. The street was deserted and so he began to move out, intending to talk as they travelled, but Itachi held him back.

'No. Tell me here.'

Eyes momentarily flashing at being ordered by the Uchiha, Sasori nonetheless complied and retreated further inside the small alleyway with Itachi, his movements easy even as he cursed inside; _damn. In this setting I'll have less of an excuse to think about what I say beforehand!_

'Go on,' Itachi encouraged again once they were sitting safely in the middle of the small passage and less likely to be seen. Sasori mentally frowned before looking up to meet his companions eyes. What did it matter that he had less time to think about his words? After all, it wasn't as if he was spinning an elaborate web of lies; rather, he was simply going to tell the truth.

* * *

FINISHED this chapter, :].

So what did you think? Please review if you liked it (or even if you didn't - it's good to hear critisism every now and again, ;]).

Ok, the thing I wanted to tell you guys is that my GCSEs are coming steadily closer and I'm beginning to worry about the amount of work/revision I need to do in order to achieve the grades I want. Therefore I'm not sure when I'm going to get the next chapter out. If you're lucky and I feel inspired then I'll get one out just before my GCSEs start (so a couple of weeks after Easter) and then one at the start of the Summer holidays once exams and work xp is over, but if things don't work out I'll skip the one at Easter and you'll have to wait until the start of Summer for the next chapter. I'm really sorry about this because I do like writing on this fic and it's desperately inconvenient that I have exams - but I'm not going to forsake my grades just so that I can keep on getting chapters out regularly. Despite this, I will try and get several chapters out during the Summer holiday to make up for it, so hopefully you all won't be too mad! I certeinly have NOT given up on this story though and I won't - because I really want to finish this. I just thought I'd better explain why things will be a bit slower until the Summer. Thanks for your patience and understanding,

~WfCP  
xxx


	26. Kill the Weeds

HELLO!  
:D  
How have you all been? ... Seriously I'd like to know - I'm not just saying things I don't mean! :O - how dare you think that? ;) hee  
Sorry for my weird mood - or well, I'm only sorry for it actually if it unnerves you because I actually like it. It's called 'I've been doing intensive revision for a week but I managed to finish the work I needed to do today before 4:00pm' - which is great because I've been finishing just before midnight for the last few days! hee! :) Also because I just finished writing this chapter since I had some free time today! :D  
And I like the poetic way it ends. Beautiful - a great piece of literature if I say so myself! =D heehee

(honestly I haven't been on the wine! No but seriously - the last time I had a glass of wine I had to drink it all before someone came into the room and thare was half (of a very big wine glass) left and I felt terrible afterwards - stomach cramps and everything. Not nice. :/ bleurgh)  
Anyway, you didn't want to know that and, since I have nothing useful to say I'll stop rambling and let you read the chapter (those of you who haven't just skipped this author note anyway :P)

Enjoy! xxx

* * *

'Go on,' Itachi encouraged again once they were sitting safely in the middle of the small passage and less likely to be seen. Sasori mentally frowned before looking up to meet his companions eyes. What did it matter that he had less time to think about his words? After all, it wasn't as if he was spinning an elaborate web of lies; rather, he was simply going to tell the truth.

* * *

It had been a long mission in the Water Country although not particularly taxing. Konoha had been asked to escort a member of royalty from the Mist Country whilst he attended meetings with the Mizukage - and this short straw had fallen to Kiba's team. With Kurenai busy looking after Asuma's old team the three young adults had been asked to go alone and had agreed, but the whole mission had felt a little empty without her.

'Are you feeling better now Hinata?' Kiba asked genially, referring to the girl's seasickness of earlier.

'I-I'm fine now,' Hinata stuttered, embarrassed at being the only one who had thrown up whilst travelling across the sea.

'We should hurry back,' Shino suggested monotonously from behind them; 'we've been gone a long time already.'

'Yeah!' Kiba agreed enthusiastically, jumping onto Akamaru's back; 'I've been missing that old place!' Akamaru barked as if in agreement but before they could take off into the trees Shino spoke again.

'Perhaps Hinata should ride on Akamaru,' he decided sensibly; 'she still doesn't look too good.'

'Eh? Ah, um - it's okay Kiba, I-I'll be fine!' Hinata immediately protested, not wanting to be a bother, but Kiba wouldn't hear of it. Soon Hinata was seated behind Kiba on Akamaru's broad white back, and they all set off towards Konoha, travelling as fast as they could manage.

* * *

Sasori was dangerous. A lot more dangerous than he had previously thought. Of course Itachi had always known that the puppet master was one of the cleverer members of Akatsuki; it was obvious in his job-description as an expert poison developer and the creator of intricate, deadly killing machines. He just hadn't realised he was so skilled at psychology, utilising his intellectual talents to their full potential by analysing and manipulating the people around him. It was the kind of crime Itachi would have wanted to be charged with but, although he had pointed out that Sasori and himself were similar, he had really believed that he was the superior; and now it annoyed him that he was beginning to doubt it.

They were travelling in silence now towards the Hokage faces, neither needing to talk now as everything that had needed to be said had been said. Sasori had told him everything; or what Sasori had said to be everything. He had told him what he had told Deidara and what he had told Ino and, lastly, what he had told himself; what he _really_ intended to do. And there were enough links between the three versions to make the changes subtle, to make sure that it would be hard for the blonde-couple to spot them had they had the chance to talk and share Sasori's words. Yet the changes were deadly.

_He said he was doing it for Deidara,_ Itachi mused silently, keeping his eyes fixed like a hawk on the cloaked back and crimson hair in front of him. _He said that, but he meant that he's doing it for himself. That's the only reason I believed him; because he's too egocentric to do something like this for anyone else but himself. He said he was killing Ino because he believes Deidara will be better off without her. He said he would help Deidara escape from the Akatsuki after this mission because we will never fully accept him there again - but I don't believe that reasoning. I've seen through his lies._

Sasori seemed to be rushing, taking risks in the daylight that Itachi would normally have shied from but he followed none the less because whilst he may have believed Sasori's prior actions and thought he understood his motives, he still distrusted him. In fact, it was possible that he distrusted him more than ever now.

_He originally left to kill Ino and I don't believe he ever changed his mind; she's in the way and doesn't belong on our level - and Deidara, in Sasori's mind, is still on our level. That's why he's killing her. Deidara won't suspect anything until the mission is over - and this way the Akatsuki utilises his skills and captures the Kyuubi with ease. Mission complete with credit to Sasori; which clears his name for any previous slip-ups during the assignment. Then to Deidara - what happens when he finds out that Ino is dead? Sasori can't believe that he will move on easily, run away from the Akatsuki as he planned and live a new life. No. Sasori doesn't care - because he hasn't thought that far. If he really cared about Deidara he wouldn't be doing this, and that's why I don't believe what he said about his intentions. That's why I believe he's in earnest this time; because although he tried to lie the truth is that he's simply selfish - and that would fit my description of him perfectly._

* * *

They hadn't encountered any Akatsuki members. Kakashi hadn't even seen any evidence of them during their journey to the village and it concerned him. They had reached Keikoto now and, since Kisame and his partner Itachi were supposed to have passed through the village already he could only conclude that they had left too late and missed the ninja - which meant that they must have reached Konoha by now, and perhaps even before they left.

Clenching his fists as he surveyed the quaint houses around him, Kakashi realised with some annoyance that this had been a pointless mission. With the time logistics involved there must have been some trickery along the line and, whilst he finally had to attribute this to the messenger from Keikoto who informed Konohagakure of the Akatsuki sighting, it was no longer relevant. It was likely that the man had been threatened by the criminals but, although the leaf village may later want to look into this traitorous behaviour, for now there were much more important things to worry about. Such as; what had been happening whilst they were gone? If the Akatsuki had given them the slip as he thought they must have then that meant that they were already at Konohagakure, wrecking whatever havoc had been assigned to them this time.

'Gai,' Kakashi called in a low tone so that the others couldn't hear him; 'the Akatsuki aren't here and we didn't see them along the way. I think we've been given the slip which means that the village could be in trouble. We should leave here immediately and return to Konohagkure. If we run flat out we should be there within five hours.'

For a moment Gai was silent, processing the information. Then, as serious as Kakashi was, he nodded.  
'Alright everyone!' Gai called to the remaining five ninja drifting away from the leaders into the town. 'We're finished here so it's time to go back to Knohagakure. Ah, show some spirit now - we're going to be running all the way back!'

Kakashi thought it was interesting to note that Gai had purposefully let not slip of a possible threat to the village, perhaps so as to not alarm the others. He thought that was simply immature though considering that their old students were almost adults now anyway.  
'I believe the Akatsuki may have already reached Konohagakure,' Kakashi added in a quieter tone when they had all assembled, making sure the villagers couldn't hear him. 'So we will be running flat out. I hope you can manage.'

After a moment of grave silence, Lee chanced a smile and, looking around at all the gloomy faces shouted enthusiastically, 'Yeah! If we _super sprint_ we can make it in two hours!'

Gai grinned back at the unrealistic proposal and Kakashi found himself wondering if Gai was just being encouraging or whether he, too, was as delusional as his former pupil; 'That's the spirit Lee - we'll super sprint!'

* * *

Where was he? She had been waiting for about an hour now, judging by the sun rise that had quickly given way to morning light. Sasori had said that Deidara would come to meet her whilst they were attacking the village but, whilst she could see as she peered out of the Hokage's eye that they obviously hadn't started the attack yet, she was fairly certain that they would have infiltrated the village by now. It wasn't as if the guards were posting much of a threat with their numbers having been reduced for some reason or another; even _she_ had managed to easily enter unnoticed.

Withdrawing her head from the small opening in the rock Ino sighed and rested her back against the tall inner rock face. She knew it was risky staring out at the village because somebody could easily spot her and come to see what she was up to, jeopardising the whole plan – but it was probably one of the last times she would ever see the village again if Deidara and her were to run away as Sasori had suggested.

_It sounds like a good plan, but I'm going to miss Konohagakure – I grew up here and I have so many memories and frie-_ Here Ino stopped, suddenly remembering Sakura. What had happened to her? She had been so wrapped up in her own ordeals that she had completely forgotten about her friend. She hadn't been with Sasori, Itachi and Kisame when they had found her in the hills which only increased her fear. What had they done with her? Suddenly the images of her parents being brutally slaughtered played back to her in her mind and she heard Shikamaru's frantic voice as he found Chouji dying in the woods come back to haunt her.

Panicking, Ino turned back around to stare out of the eye-hole again, eyes searching for her house amongst the masses. Not that she would be able to see inside at this point, but perhaps there would be something there that told her what she wanted to know; maybe Sakura would be standing outside and she would see the pink hair and be able to relax once more, but no such luck. Instead there was yellow hazard tape surrounding the front of her house and an ANBU member standing outside to stop people entering. It looked as if her house had become the object of a crime investigation!

_Oh God,_ she thought numbly, _oh God.  
_  
Clenching her hands so that her fingernails dug in painfully, Ino tried to think sensibly – if Sakura had been murdered then Sasori would have cleaned up her remains like he had done with her parents, wouldn't he? Therefore there wouldn't be anything for the ANBU to find. Was it more likely that they had found Sakura alive? Perhaps Sasori had locked her up or knocked her unconscious instead. Perhaps he still had a use for her; after all, didn't he want Sakura to tell him where Naruto was being held?

Footsteps; just as she was beginning to allay her fear over Sakura Ino found her own safety threatened. She was in the furthest Hokage face and so had plenty of time to hear the people approach. It wouldn't have bothered her if it was one set of footsteps because she knew Deidara was supposed to be meeting her – but why were there _two_ sets? Why were _two_ people coming this way?

When Sasori stopped in the doorway Ino relaxed because, even though she'd thought that Sasori had meant that Deidara would meet her alone, she realised that she could have misunderstood him. Black hair greeted her searching eyes though as she peered around the crimson haired Akatsuki member and her eyes narrowed in confusion as she registered that it was Itachi, not Deidara, who stood there.

_Why is Itachi here? Where's Deidara? Wasn't Itachi against this idea? I can't imagine him agreeing to let Deidara and me escape together. This is so confusing; what's going on?  
_  
'Ino!' Sasori greeted genially, his voice echoing eerily in the cold, rocky cavern, 'I'm afraid there's been a change of plan.'

* * *

Deidara had so far made no move to rebel or escape and, aside from being quietly angry at the switch of partners, Kisame could see no other negative symptoms in the blonde's behaviour. This surprised him because, from the way Itachi had been acting and talking before they had split up suggested that something was wrong. Obviously that and the fact that Ino had escaped so easily from Sasori had been reason enough to make Kisame doubt the other Akatsuki pair's reliability, but Deidara was giving him no further reason to doubt which confused him. Perhaps Itachi had only suspected Sasori and had thus switched the teams so that he could keep an eye on him himself, leaving Kisame and Deidara together as a side product. That seemed to fit the situation better, but Kisame didn't drop his guard all the same. He was stronger than Deidara but Deidara was quicker than him. If he was wrong about Deidara having harmless intentions he would have to be alert in order to stop him from carrying out those plans.

'Almost there,' Deidara muttered grudgingly, having been leading the way as he had been shown the place before when Ino had given Sasori and him a tour of the town. Kisame nodded to show he had heard but, mindful of the fact the Deidara was still moody about something, refrained from speaking.

They found an alleyway just across the street from the ANBU base and leant against the walls in the middle of it. Although it was now morning and most of the shadows had dissipated it wasn't unreasonable to assume that most people wouldn't glance twice at the two shady men probably have a quick cigarette before work. Kisame just hoped they wouldn't have to linger there too long. It might look suspicious then.

'Why did you join the Akatsuki?' The voice was low and the face was turned away but Kisame knew that the question was still aimed at him, however vague Deidara was being with his addressing. It surprised him a little though, not just the question but also that the ninja was even trying to make conversation. Was there a hidden meaning behind the words? Was Deidara trying to find out something he could use against Kisame? Was there a purpose for the question? Somehow though Kisame doubted it. Deidara wasn't like Itachi or Sasori - in fact, Deidara was more like himself in terms of intellect and character.

'I didn't really have anywhere else to go,' Kisame replied truthfully. 'When I left my village I didn't think about things like that - and the Akatsuki offered me shelter, a purpose and a chance to display my power. I don't really care about the leader's ideals but I do care about the organisation. Why?' Then, after a pause, Kisame expanded, 'Why did _you_ join the Akatsuki?'

'I didn't really have a choice,' was the quiet reply. 'And I wasn't in a position to fight against it then. Nor did I particularly want to; as you said, it offered me shelter and a chance to fight against the world that had rejected me. But I don't think I really wanted a purpose. I wanted to go my own way. I don't like being tied down. Perhaps that's why I'm regretti-'

'Shh,' Kisame quickly commanded, holding a hand up to stop Deidara from saying any more. 'I told you I'm loyal to the organisation,' Kisame continued a moment later as Deidara looked around for an approaching enemy, assuming that that was why Kisame had shushed him; 'so I don't want you to say anymore because then I won't be able to claim ignorance to your intentions. I don't agree with what you're saying but I believe everyone is entitled to their own ideas and right to live their own life - but if I were you I'd forget her. I think you'll regret it later if you don't.'

Deidara frowned at him before turning his head away again, looking towards the Hokage faces. 'I'll keep that in mind, hm,' he replied tersely and Kisame sighed before also looking up at the rock masterpieces. He hadn't thought that Deidara would listen to his advice but he wasn't too disappointed with the results. After all, Deidara had the right to choose how he lived his life - or ended it - and if he wanted to go down over a brief fling with a pretty girl then that was his own fault.

Kisame was just so very slightly annoyed that the organisation would have to find a new member to replace him. After all, Deidara had been quite a useful addition to the group up 'till then.

* * *

_A change of plan? What is Sasori talking about_? Ino wondered. Was Deidara okay?

'Deidara is waiting outside the walls,' Sasori continued smoothly as if he'd read her thoughts; 'and we are to escort you to him. It's only a small change of plan, see? Don't be alarmed.' He began to walk towards her, his pace measured as if to avoid alarming her and his eyes wary; they hadn't left her face since he had entered the 'room'. Ino felt as if she was being treated like a dangerous, unstable animal – why was Sasori suddenly be so cautious around her? What did he think she was going to do?

_Why is he walking towards me when he's supposed to be escorting me? I can walk on my own. What is he trying to do?_ Ino immediately felt doubt for the man in front of her and his words; he was such a smooth talker that he had to be up to something. Again, it troubled her that Itachi was standing casually in the doorway as if he had no objection to the plan. So thinking, she began to retreat as Sasori advanced, glancing around her for some help but it seemed like there was none to offer in the barren cavern.

'Ahaha,' she laughed rather nervously as she felt her back collide with the rock wall; 'lead the way then – I'll follow. You don't have to come over here.'

'It'll be quicker if I carry you,' Sasori explained dismissively but he stopped as he spoke – about a metre away – and held out a hand to her, showing that he meant her no harm. Ino still wasn't convinced though; there was something in his eyes, the way he was regarding her and the way that he was acting that didn't quite add up.

'Why is _he_ here?' Ino asked Sasori pointedly, gesturing towards Itachi with her head. 'I thought he was against Deidara and me escaping.'

'After I talked to him he saw the benefits of my proposal,' he explained easily back, his hand still outstretched, and Ino wavered slightly; Sasori seemed to have an answer for everything – but that almost made him _more_ suspicious.

'Sasori _is_ a good talker,' Itachi added swiftly from the entrance, his tone too soft to echo, but Ino thought she saw amusement in his eyes and Sasori's lips twitched at the sentence as if it hinted at some secret joke between the two of them. Since when had they shared common interests? Since when had they shared jokes? The hairs on the back of Ino's neck began to rise uneasily as a chill swept over her; something was very wrong with this situation, even if she couldn't quite put her finger on _what_.

'Come on,' Sasori interjected impatiently, jerking his hand to draw attention to the fact that it was still outstretched to her, 'we can't wait around forever - after all, we've got a kyuubi to catch.' Perhaps if he hadn't added the last few words everything would have worked out for him and Ino would have taken his hand - but as soon as he spoke them Ino's eyes widened and she glanced back to the eyehole where she had seen the yellow hazard tape surrounding her house from; _Sakura!_ The link between her friend and Naruto, 'the kyuubi', was just too strong to be ignored.

'What did you do to Sakura?' She demanded angrily, her sudden defensiveness taking Sasori by surprise because his eyes momentarily widened at the outburst before returning to normal barely half a second later. His smile was slight but it infuriated Ino even more; 'Tell me! What did you do to her? Where is she?'

'Shh,' he quietened quickly, his smile fading into nothingness as he sighed and dropped his hand. The room became a shade colder but Ino was too caught up in concern for her friend to notice. 'What do you think I did to her?' He wondered carelessly although he tilted his head as if he was genuinely curious. Ino couldn't reply; whether from fear of what she would say being the truth or sheer hatred for the puppet master she wasn't sure.

'I'm sorry,' he told her softly but the tone was laced with insincerity and it made Ino's insides crawl; she had to wonder if he had ever spoken those two words with truth or if he ever would do – she found the thought unlikely. 'But everyone dies. Would it help if I told you she enjoyed it?' He chuckled at the disbelief in her eyes as Ino stared at him, unable to understand how death could be enjoyable when your friends had abandoned you; _because I did abandon her – I remember how I escaped through that window without even sparing a thought for her lying unconscious on the bed.  
_  
'Do you want a demonstration?' Sasori wondered, his voice so quiet that Ino was surprised she had heard it until she glanced up to see he had somehow come closer without her noticing. Unwontedly she whimpered because she understood him perfectly and she knew that he intended to kill her no matter what her reaction was; it wasn't an idle threat but an active one and she was scared.

He was two feet away and for a moment, as their eyes met, time seemed to freeze for Ino. It looked like a hopeless situation – he even had Itachi guarding the door for him and Ino knew now that the intention had always been to kill her. She was in the only 'head' that had one door and she was weapon-less, with far less skill than even one of the men in front of her - let alone two. Sasori blinked and the connection was broken. Ino ducked.

She had dodged to her right and was running before she even realised that Sasori had moved to attack her but she knew that running would do her no good. She needed a weapon and so, with her back facing the wall again but further around the circumference than before, Ino ran her hands over the rough surface behind her, desperately searching for a weak section she could break off and use for defence. Sasori, despite his impatience of before, was not hurrying her death in any way. In fact he seemed to be taking some perverse pleasure in it as he lazily reached into his weapon's pouch and withdrew a kunai, spinning it on his index finger as he leisurely approached.

Finding no loose rock where she was searching Ino gritted her teeth and continued moving along the wall, silently praying to every God she had ever been told of to help her. Maybe one of them heard her because as she glanced to her right, continuing her search for a weapon, she suddenly saw an exit. It was hidden so that you could only see it if you looked at it head on so it was no surprise that she hadn't ever noticed it before but her heart soared at the sight of it. She even wondered if she was hallucinating but it was certainly worth a shot and so she ran for it.

'You can't run forev-,' Sasori began, his tone bored, but Ino heard him suddenly stop as she disappeared into to the gap and, imagining his face, couldn't withhold a triumphant grin. Her joy was short-lived though as a kunai bounced off the inner wall of the passage, telling her that her escape had been found. Luckily the slope upwards turned a corner and, to her surprise, Ino saw a spiral staircase leading upwards – perfect for evading sharp metal projections. Hearing running footsteps behind her, Ino increased her speed, taking several steps at a time as she tried to explain this bizarre turn of events.

_Why would there be a passage here? It seemed to be leading up to the top of the cliff but – oh!_ Ino suddenly remembered how she had sometimes seen buildings on top of the Hokages' cliff when she had looked and was surprised how she had managed to forget about them but desperately thankful for the godsend – if she ever got out of this mess she would have to personally thank each and every house owner who had had the initiative to buy a house in such a remote place; they had inadvertently saved her life.

She was running out of breath and seriously fearing for her life because of the nearing, echoing footsteps behind her when she saw pure daylight filtering round the bend in the stairs and she emerged, panting frantically, out of a purposefully built hole in the ground to find herself standing on top of the cliff that had overshadowed her and her village for her whole life. The houses were all around her, not really in a pattern but, as there wasn't very many of them, it wasn't necessary to have a system. The only common factor was that they were all facing towards her, the stairs obviously the main attraction of the small community.

Whoever was following her on the stairs (and she assumed it was Sasori rather than Itachi) didn't even seem out of breath because she couldn't hear his breathing even though she knew, by the fact that his footsteps were hardly echoing anymore, that he only had one bend to go. This finally spurred her on and, wincing at the exertion, Ino forced her legs to move again, running towards the edge of the cliff in the hope that someone would see her and come to help – although the thought that they would get there in time to save her was unlikely. She would have knocked on the doors of the residents or shouted for help except that her ninja moral code stopped her; as far as she remembered it was only citizens who lived up here because all the ninja were obliged to live within the actual walls of the town - and involving these citizens would endanger them and go against everything she'd ever been taught.

'If I knew you were going to do my job for me I wouldn't have wasted my energy chasing you,' Ino heard Sasori call somewhat breathlessly from behind her and she turned to see him, at least ten metres away, slowly walking towards her. He sounded out of breath, proving her earlier assumption wrong, but his wooden chest stayed still, neither rising nor falling as one would expect of a living entity. She assumed his words were referring to her being so near the edge of the cliff; whether he really did think she was going to jump or was simply cracking a joke though was unclear to Ino.

Itachi emerged from the buildings a moment later but remained at a distance after quietly surveying the situation; _I guess he thinks Sasori can handle this himself and, actually, I agree with him,_ Ino thought rather glumly, taking deep breaths to calm her body down after so much running.

'Why don't you shout for help?' Sasori asked bluntly when he had closed the gap by a half but when Ino simply glared at him his eyes lit up in realisation; 'Oh! Endangering civilians is against the code, right? I should have remembered that – they tried to bash it into my skull enough times when I was younger anyway.' He was so dismissive about it! Ino couldn't help but growl softly under her breath – how dare he undermine her beliefs with such a superior, carefree attitude!

'Weren't you going to become a missing-nin, Ino?' Sasori reminded her, stopping when the gap was reduced to two metres and glaring at her pointedly; 'You know, this is why I simply can't stand you,' he explained, Itachi too far away to hear him now; 'because you can't make up your mind. How can you blindly expect to fit in and be accepted by us when you don't really want to become one of us? You're still too tied to your old 'pretty' life as a Konohagakure kunoichi, even when your whole world has come crashing down around you. I simply don't understand that ideology; do you take popularity for granted? Do you think everyone has to love you as a law of nature? What a _stupid_, selfish girl you are! Grow up already and stop taking your life for granted.'

Ino had barely registered that he had finished speaking when she heard the familiar swish of the air parting and her eyes widened just in time to lock onto Sasori's narrowed orbs as a sharp pain registered in her chest, propelling her backwards over the cliff. Too shocked to scream, Ino's mouth hung open uselessly instead as the air both parted for her and pummelled her, her eyes following the receding clouds as, bizarrely, they were tainted by a trail of deep scarlet raindrops like an abstract painting – and there, standing at the edge of a sharp precipice, was the artist.

* * *

Finito! =D

Well, what did you think? Personally I liked the painting/artist imagery at the end but hey - that's just me. :)  
Oh, just in case you haven't noticed: the titles of the last two chapters, this one and the next one (which has yet to come out) are all linked. It's sort-of like a Sasori-arc in the story; four chapters pretty much dedicated solely to him because he's my favourite character! But unfortunately I've made him the 'baddy' in this story and people want a happy ending so...*sigh* nevermind.  
chapter titles of these four 'Sasori chatpers' = plant the seeds, and watch them grow, kill the weeds, and reep what you sow  
- so if you're desperate you can try and fortell what's going to happen in the next chapter!  
Wow, exciting! =O

Ok, on another note I said in the last chapter that I've got my GCSEs and, as shown by my stupid amounts of revision, I want to do well in them. Therefore I'm probably not going to write on this story until after thay're finished - which will by July some time, ok? I'm sorry but, to be fair, more rests on the exams than does on this story and it's not as if I don't like writing this - I love it! & I promise, promise, promise that I will finish this once the exams are over.  
- I'll have the summer hols so should get several chapters out (and maybe finish it then actually - not exactly sure how many chapters I've got left, hmm). :)

Anyway, reviews are really, really, _really_ welcome - do you know I almost didn't get a review for my last chapter? I think I'm going to start personally thanking people in the chapters when they review. Thus said;  
**solus;** thankyou - I hope you liked this chapter and yes, considering this is a _DeiIno_ fanfic I'd have to be a really annoying author to kill one of the main characters off with several chapters still left to go - I just like playing with my readers and pretending I've killed people. hee! =D

LOVE YOU ALL! PLEASE REVIEW! IT WILL REALLY BRIGHTEN MY DARK, REVISION FILLED DAYS!!!  
~WfCP  
xxx

P.S. - thanks to **Ethereal Forest** for pointing out that Sasori's chest is wooden and so wouldn't rise and fall when he breathed. :) how silly of me...;)


	27. And Reap What You Sow

Hi!

Right, so I had my last exam yesterday (yay!) and they all went pretty well so I'm happy. Also, I managed to finished this chapter today which is good. I'm going to try and finish this story over the Summer holidays although I'm not sure whether I'll manage it or not 'cause I've got quite a few engagements etc - but I'll try! If you can't remember what happened in the last few chapters etc please feel free to skim read them again although, equally, I'm sure most of it will come back to you as you read. ;)

Well have fun!

* * *

Ino had barely registered that he had finished speaking when she heard the familiar swish of the air parting and her eyes widened just in time to lock onto Sasori's narrowed orbs as a sharp pain registered in her chest, propelling her backwards over the cliff. Too shocked to scream, Ino's mouth hung open uselessly instead as the air both parted for her and pummelled her, her eyes following the receding clouds as, bizarrely, they were tainted by a trail of deep scarlet raindrops like an abstract painting – and there, standing at the edge of a sharp precipice, was the artist.

* * *

They must have been waiting for at least ten to fifteen minutes for the other pair to join them and Deidara was getting anxious; what had happened to them? Kisame looked bored from waiting but Deidara thought he could see the slight worry present in the other ninja's eyes as he glanced around him. Looking up at the Hokage faces Deidara was surprised to see someone standing at the edge - they were so small though that he couldn't see who they were. Frowning, he lifted his left hand to brush away his loose blonde lock of hair as his right hand adjusted the settings on his artificial camera-eye. Zooming in on the figure his breath caught unnaturally in his throat as he recognised the slight form of his blonde counterpart.

_I-Ino…?_

Wasn't she supposed to be waiting in the Hokage faces for him to meet her after the Kyuubi had been captured? What was she doing at the top of the cliff overlooking Konohagakure? Her back was to him so he couldn't see her face but he got the impression that she was talking to someone.

_Who…?_

'Deidara?' Kisame wondered, closer than he had been before, but Deidara ignored him, his eyes fixed solely on Ino; why was she standing so close to the edge? That was dangerous, wasn't it? What was she doing? Who was she talking to?

'Who is that up there?' Kisame continued and this time Deidara glanced at him out of the corner of his right eye to see him squinting up at the cliff. 'It's not Itachi or Sasori-san because they're not wearing a cloak…'

Suddenly Deidara felt cold and, moving rather woodenly, he flicked his eyes up to the cliff-top again, his mind moving sluggishly as he tried to work out why he felt such terrible foreboding; did it have something to do with what Kisame had just said? Was it to do with Itachi and Sasori? What link did that have to Ino?

_Itachi and Sasori aren't here…someone is talking to Ino up there…they are…Ino is…_

Suddenly Ino moved but the movement was unnatural and her body jerked as if she wasn't controlling it; it looked like something had hit her. The force was enough to topple her and Deidara watched in shock as he saw her lose her footing and fall backwards over the side of the cliff. For a moment he stood frozen in shock, the lump in his throat somehow connected to the horrible twisting in his stomach.

'Deidara?' Kisame sounded worried now; 'Deidara-san, answer me! Who is that up there? Why are they falling?'

The voice seemed to snap something because suddenly Deidara was no longer in the alley. He couldn't remember the exact point when his muscles had freed up, allowing him to move, but he was jumping from roof to roof before he knew what he was doing. His heart was pounding so quickly in his chest he was afraid he wouldn't make it in time; he could hear the seconds counting down as he kept his eyes fixed on the falling entity he was determined to save. Oblivious to everything else around him, everyday noises and people's calling voices faded into nothingness as he isolated himself from the world, his heart in his mouth as he threw himself across the last roof, arms outstretched and eyes wide.

Something heavy and warm impacted with his stiff arms and, still too caught up in the moment to feel any real relief, Deidara forced himself to come to a stop, jumping off the roof and landing in a crouch in the middle of the crowded street. His chest rising and falling erratically as he stared down at the unconscious girl lying bridal style in his arms, the noise of his immediate surroundings began to come back to him in full force; the mutterings and curious tones of the citizens around him.

'I-Ino…' he panted out, finally feeling the full force of his relief; he had done it, he had caught her, he had saved her! It didn't take long however for his eyes to be drawn to the kunai protruding from her chest; the object that had propelled her over the edge of the cliff in the first place; an artifact intended for murder - for _her_ murder. He felt bitter anger begin to boil inside of him and he was just about to glare up at the cliff when something interrupted his train of thought.

'Put her down, Akatsuki,' someone growled through gritted teeth behind him. Surprised, Deidara raised his head and finally took in his surroundings properly. He had landed in a busy market street but there was a circle of privacy around him, none of the citizens daring to approach this breathless stranger. Wearily standing, Deidara turned at last to face his opponent; he was in no shape to fight though after having exhausted himself so fully.

The man facing him was younger than he was but his eyes were cold. He had pineapple-shaped brown hair and Deidara didn't ever remember seeing him before.  
'Put her down,' the man repeated angrily but Deidara hesitated. He hadn't been thinking about the consequences of being out in the open when he had moved to save Ino and now he was reluctant to relinquish his hold on her; he didn't want to lose her again.

'Why should he?' Somebody challenged gruffly and Deidara jerked his head up to stare in surprise at Kisame standing on the roof of the house to his left. In one fluid motion the shark-nin joined him on the ground although he refused to look at him and kept his eyes trained on the konohagakure shinobi in front of them; 'Are you going to attack him whilst she's in his arms, _Shikamaru_?' Kisame continued, suddenly turning to glare at Deidara pointedly. Deidara shrunk back from the look, noticing how tensed Kisame was by the muscles standing out clearly on his neck.

'H-how do you know my name?' Shikamaru returned after a moment's shock but he composed himself well because his eyes were hard again when Deidara looked at him.

'You called on Ino a couple of days ago, didn't you?' Kisame returned easily; 'It was such a touching call. Unfortunately she wasn't there to hear it.' A tight grip on his shoulder told Deidara that Kisame was taking control of the situation now. He was perfectly fine with the arrangement because he was pretty sure Kisame was better equipped to cope with it now anyway. 'So if you don't mind we're going to leave now,' Kisame finished and released Deidara, making to jump back onto the roof he had been on before.

'You're not going to get away!' Shikamaru told him angrily, pulling a kunai from his pouch and brandishing it dangerously; 'we're near the ANBU base and back up will be here in a minute. I won't let you get away until they come.'

Growling under his breath, Kisame extracted a kunai of his own and, turning back to Deidara, he pressed the kunai firmly against Ino's neck, effectively stopping Shikamaru in his tracks. 'Right,' he sneered sarcastically, 'come on then - why have you stopped?' When Shikamaru didn't reply Kisame grinned and loosened his grip on the weapon; 'You see - you can't stop us, can you?' Removing the blade from Ino's throat Kisame jumped up onto the roof, surveying the area nervously as he searched for other enemy shinobi.

Deidara watched this act silently. He knew that Kisame was only trying to help and that he had acted correctly in order to escape from the awkward situation but that didn't excuse him for nearly hurting Ino badly; what if Shikamaru hadn't stopped? Still, it was obvious that the pineapple-haired shinobi really did care for Ino. Hesitating only briefly Deidara moved unexpectedly towards the younger man, gaining a confused glance from Kisame.

'Here.' Deidara wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing or not but he knew that Ino would be safer with the Konohagakure shinobi than with Kisame and he couldn't shake the need for revenge that was clawing at him as he found his eyes drawn once again to the top of the cliff; who had Ino been talking to? Who had tried to kill her?

'Deidara, what are you doing? Hurry the hell up and get up here!' Kisame called, surprised at his companion's actions. Deidara ignored him though, continuing to hold Ino out to the leaf shinobi; Shikamaru was hesitant for a moment though as if analysing the situation and looking for a trap. Kisame appeared beside them and reached out to grab Deidara but the blonde ninja couldn't afford to be restrained and so sidestepped the shark-nin, sending Shikamaru a pleading look.

'Please take her - she's hurt and needs a medic, hm. I think you'll take good care of her so please take her and go!'

Kisame was glaring daggers at him but made no other move to try and restrain him. 'Hurry up, Deidara,' he growled instead, glancing around him in a dissatisfied manner; 'we need to get out of here before the ANBU come.'

Silent, Shikamaru finally took Ino from Deidara and retreated quickly, still suspicious of the Akatsuki member. Deidara ignored him then, jumping up onto the roof without prompting from Kisame. The shark-nin followed him but wasn't prepared for Deidara jumping down the other side of the roof and running towards the cliff-face.

'Oi, Deidara - where you going? We've got to get out of here!' His tone was frustrated but Deidara didn't bother to turn and look at him. He had only one thing on his mind and that was finding Ino's theoretical killer; if he hadn't caught her then she would have died for sure. He assumed that Kisame left him though and attempted to leave the village because when he glanced over his shoulder he couldn't see the Samehada-wielder following him.

Using chakra in his feet Deidara ran up the cliff with ease now that he had regained his breath. Reaching the top, he stopped for a moment to control his breathing before looking around him to see that whoever Ino had been talking to had disappeared. Gritting his teeth, he started out towards the group of houses clustered together just over ten metres away; perhaps it had been one of the residents? Something told him otherwise but he couldn't think of where else the attacker could be hiding.

As soon as he rounded the first house though and the clearing in the middle became visible Deidara stopped, frozen as his eyes locked onto the two people he had subconsciously suspected of being nearby for a while now.

_Sasori, Itachi…Ino was talking to you, wasn't she? You were the ones that tried to kill her, weren't you? Weren't you?_

Perhaps Sasori felt eyes on him because he suddenly looked up to meet Deidara's gaze. His eyes were cold as usual but this time he didn't relax when he saw his old partner. Instead his gaze faltered and he looked away, tapping Itachi's shoulder to get his attention as the Uchiha began to descend into a hole in the ground.

_Yes, you were. You were the ones who tried to kill her. You bastards. You murderers. You…you…you heartless products of a world tainted by evil and soaked in blood._

_You're going to pay, hm._

_I'm going to make you pay._

* * *

'Ahh, I forgot how cold it was in Konoha!' Temari voiced loudly, hugging herself as she leant against one of the many trees surrounding the group of ninja. Kankouro glanced at her and laughed.

'You should have brought a jacket then,' he added afterwards, smug in his full length black outfit. Temari shot him a glare but didn't waste her breath on a reply. Instead she turned her eyes back to the Konoha ANBU unit that had been staying in Sunagakure for over a year. To be honest it had been quite a surprise when Gaara had received Tsunade's letter asking for the return of her ANBU and, if possible, extra help from Suna; they'd almost forgotten about the help Konoha had lent them after the direct encounter between Gaara and the Akatsuki. Gaara had sent them out immediately with all haste because of the urgency of the message and they had been travelling pretty much full out the whole journey. It was a long way from Sunagakure to Konohagakure though and they were currently having a break.

'We should only have a couple of hours to go now,' one of the masked ANBU told her when he saw her looking; 'It's been a couple of days since we received the letter but we've made good time. I don't think anything terrible would have happened while we've been travelling.'

'Let's hope not,' Temari agreed, fingering the heavy fan hanging on her back.

'It was only a precautionary letter,' Kankouro reassured when he saw his sister's solemn face; 'Tsunade just had a bad feeling about something - don't worry, it'll be fine.'

Temari wished she could believe him but, just like Tsunade had, she felt that something wasn't right. She simply had a very bad feeling about what they would find when they finally reached their destination. 'Let's hurry anyway,' she replied, glancing around her to make sure she had overall agreement; 'It wouldn't hurt to get there quickly.'

'Indeed,' one of the other ANBU members backed her up; 'Better sooner than later.'

'I'll race you then,' Kankouro challenged, smirking as he saw his sister's competitive streak make her eyes light up with fire as she glared at him.

'As if! I'd like to see you try and keep my pace!'

They disappeared into the trees with renewed vigour, sprinting towards Konohagakure as if people's lives depended on it. Perhaps they did.

* * *

Such hatred and anger and hurt…Sasori was used to seeing such emotions directed at him, used to being the object of much suffering and pain. To see them in Deidara's eyes though was rare. To see his partner look at him with any serious discomfort was rare; this hatred especially from him was a novelty. Sasori didn't think he liked it very much.

Averting his eyes he tapped Itachi on the shoulder, successfully gaining his attention, before pointing the Uchiha's gaze in Deidara's direction with a slight nod of his head. Needless to say the black-haired prodigy did not look impressed; Sasori had told him earlier that this excursion wouldn't hinder their real mission but it was soon becoming obvious that he had unwittingly lied. For one, he had already been reckless by allowing himself to get carried away and propel Ino off of the cliff face in plain view of every citizen, practically screaming a warning of their attack. Now it was apparent that Deidara (and quite possibly Kisame too) had given away their position and presence in the town.

Deidara's hand subconsciously moved to where his clay pouches usually were, only to discover that he was still wearing the hospital clothes without any weapons whatsoever; Sasori saw his face fall but the determination and anger still remained. Itachi looked like he was thinking hard, analyzing the situation as quickly as possible and, no doubt, forming a plan of action that would maximize their chances of completing the mission with minimal damage done to the existing members.

'Sasori, I think I'd better handle this,' he murmured softly a moment later; 'I'll be quicker.' Sasori was about to object, about to icily ask exactly what Itachi was implying, when Deidara, despite having realised he was weaponless, raised a shaking finger and pointed it at them both.

'I'm not going to let you go,' he called to them, the shaking due to his barely suppressed anger; 'I'm going to kill you both for what you did to her, hm. Don't even think of running away.'

'How are you going to stop us?' Itachi wondered, bemused as he stared pointedly at the pajamas Deidara was wearing. 'Besides – I'm not going to run. I'd strongly advise you to stop being stupid though; you'll only get killed.'

Deidara growled in response and, dropping his hand, he began to advance on the duo. When he saw Itachi give Sasori a firm push towards the stairs though he closed the gap much quicker, running the remaining ground until he was close enough to reach out and grab the puppet master's wrist. Surprised, Sasori reacted instinctively by jerking his wrist from the grip and taking a step back, pulling out a kunai with his other hand.

'I said I'm not going to let you go, hm!' Deidara snapped angrily, apparently oblivious as to how close he was to death; 'So stop trying and fight me like men!'

Running a hand through his hair Sasori sighed, knowing that he was going to have to oppose Itachi's wishes once again.  
'I killed her Deidara,' Sasori spoke up composedly, keeping his former partner's eyes to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. 'Itachi had nothing to do with it – I simply dragged him along for convenience's sake. It makes sense, doesn't it? You know I always hated her. So let Itachi go – your problem lies with me.'

'Sasori,' Itachi started tersely but fell silent as the read-head raised his hand, telling him to be quiet. Deidara broke the connection of their eyes first, glancing at Itachi before returning to Sasori's unwavering gaze.

'Fine,' he conceded at last; 'but you didn't kill her Sasori, hm – I caught her.'

Sasori was surprised at how annoyed he was at this new information. Perhaps it was because he had risked the mission to kill her, because he had allowed himself to get carried away and had immersed himself in the act, but he felt intrinsically wronged and so was angry at the world which seemed to be consciously trying to flaw his plans; chance seemed to be actively opposing him.

'Don't take your time,' Itachi sighed as he passed Sasori and began to walk down the steps; 'We don't have time to waste.'

Waiting until Itachi's footsteps sounded only as a far off echo, Sasori avoided Deidara's eyes. He wasn't ashamed of what he'd done – he would have tried to kill Ino again had he been given a second chance (indeed, he would have made sure that he _did_ kill her) – it was just that he wasn't sure what to do now; he didn't want to kill Deidara and yet he'd volunteered for the job because he couldn't bear the thought of Itachi killing Deidara either. He was supposed to finish it quickly so that he could continue with the Akatsuki's original mission of kidnapping the Kyuubi but Sasori had almost given up on such an unrealistic goal at that time; he thought Itachi was also beginning to give up on the idea – it had been the perfect time to attack but their chances had now been spoilt spectacularly. Satisfied that Itachi would no longer be able to hear them, Sasori finally looked up to see Deidara glaring at him, his hands clenched into fists.

'Why didn't you let Itachi kill me when you obviously don't want to do it, hm?'

Tilting his head inquisitively Sasori raised an eyebrow, his grip tightening on the kunai in his hand. 'You should be glad I didn't let him. You stand absolutely no chance in a fight Deidara – either with me or with him – without your weapons. Since I didn't kill her you shouldn't be suicidal. Where's your logic?'

The ex-sunagakure nin received a growl in way of an answer; 'I never had any logic but I'm not going to let you get away with what you did. Even if you failed to kill her I'm still going to avenge her, hm!'

'If you die what's going to happen to her? You're wasting your time Deidara – I suggest you go and find her and escape like you planned to do before.'

'What makes you think I'm going to listen to you now? All you've said before was bullshit. I can't trust your suggestions anymore.' Deidara paused for a moment and Sasori wondered if he was going to attack but, with a glance back at the edge of the cliff, the blonde nin merely muttered, 'And I left her with a Konohagakure nin so she'll be fine. He was called Shikamaru; I think he really cared for her.'

The name jogged Sasori's memory and he was reminded of the male caller who had visited Ino's house after Itachi and Kisame had arrived. 'Good choice,' he agreed and was suddenly struck at how some of the tension seemed to have lifted from the air. 'Deidara, do you really want to fight me?'

Silence reigned for a good few minutes and Sasori thought he could see Deidara struggling inside, weighing his feelings against each other. He knew that the ex-iwagakure nin loved Ino more than him, but was the need for revenge stronger than the bond of companionship that had been built through the many years they had worked together? Was Deidara able to forgive and forget? Sasori gave himself license to briefly hope but luck was still against him and when he saw the steel in Deidara's eyes he resigned himself to the fight.

'Here then,' Sasori spoke before Deidara could give him a verbal reply and, withdrawing another kunai from his weapons pouch, he threw it with harmless intention to Deidara who caught it in surprise. 'I know Itachi wanted me to finish this quickly but I'm not a coward and you deserve a chance.' Then, with a rather forced smile, Sasori finished,

'Let's make our last fight a good one.'

* * *

Finito!

Oooh, what's going to happen next chapter? :O

Next chapter will actually be quite short so hopefully it won't take long to write. Unfortunately it's short because I want to emphasise something - which means I want my writing at it's best so I might have trouble with it...but don't worry - I will definitely get it out soon-ish!!

Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? Sorry it's been a while but I hope you enjoyed this chapter and PLEASE REVIEW! Because I really love reviews. :D

Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter (although I might have replied to you already...):  
**Ethereal Forest** - :D yay for inspiring you! Your writing is great too though and glad your exams are all over now. ;)  
**HahaEnigma** - ahaha, thanks. I love evil people so that's why Sasori's been getting a bigger and bigger role - but don't worry because good will triumph in the end. ;)  
**Leiaah** - :) thanksies, I love this story too and I hope your A-levels are going/have gone well. ;) Also, thanks for the prompt!  
**Fallen star that finds light** - thanks, well here it is. :)  
**bloodclancat** - ahahaha, yes Ino's fine. I won't kill her - she's vital to the plot. ;)  
**Whisper-Before-The-Storm** - thankyou - I like to think I've kept most characters in character. :)  
**Rainforestfrogs **- wah~ don't jump off the cliff or Deidara will have to save you too! And yes, there will be a happy ending although maybe a few more deaths first... ;)

love,

~WfCP xxx


	28. Sasori

Hey!

Wah! Sorry it took so long but, in my defence, I did have a camp for a week and I think it took about a month...? (perhaps just over a month?) Also, I found it really hard to motivate myself for this chapter. I had to make a special playlist for it and sit alone all last night with cups of tea and chocolate whilst writing. I did write over half the chapter last night though! (hehe, impressed with myself) :D

Anyway - read and enjoy! x

* * *

'Here then,' Sasori spoke before Deidara could give him a verbal reply and, withdrawing another kunai from his weapons pouch, he threw it with harmless intention to Deidara who caught it in surprise. 'I know Itachi wanted me to finish this quickly but I'm not a coward and you deserve a chance.' Then, with a rather forced smile, Sasori finished,

'Let's make our last fight a good one.'

* * *

Deidara was the first to launch an attack, empowered now that he had a weapon to fight with. He had more reason to instigate the fight as well since it was through his need of revenge that it had come to this anyway. Sasori parried easily however and blocked subsequent attacks with equal composure. The puppet master's heart was obviously not in the fight though as he offered no counterattacks, content to protect himself with as little involvement as possible and calm in the face of Deidara's anger.

'Fight me like a man, hm!' Deidara snapped, frustrated at Sasori's constant dodging. 'You agreed to this, didn't you? You said you wanted a good fight but this is lame! Don't go easy on me just because I'm not as well equipped!'

'Shouldn't you be happy I'm giving you a chance?' Sasori returned, frowning as he ducked and sidestepped another of Deidara's heated strikes. 'Your need for revenge is obviously stronger than any companionship we ever shared; I'm just another enemy now so what should it matter if I fight you fair or not?' Sasori paused there, tilting his head curiously at Deidara's momentary ceasefire as the blonde nin stood still, matching his gaze.

'What do you mean by that, hm?' Deidara wondered but quickly continued, as if he didn't want to seem too confused, 'Besides, I never said you were just another enemy. I don't _want_ to fight you, Da-…Sasori, but I have to. Whilst you're alive, no matter how far I run with Ino, you will always pose a threat to her - and I can't have that. I don't know why you hate her and I don't want to know - but I can't trust you anymore so changing your tune about her won't help now, if that's even what you intend do.'

'I'm not going to sing her praises,' Sasori assured his former partner with sure certainty, interrupting him to do so. Deidara heard him but chose to ignore the comment.

'Whatever you say or do though, the past can't just be erased. We've both changed, hm, but that doesn't change the fact that we used to be partners, used to work together; it doesn't change the fact that I admired and looked up to you. It's hard for me to fight you Sasori when you keep talking about the past because the Akatsuki has shaped a large proportion of my past; after all I'm still young, hm. But I decided to change from that for Ino's sake; I've still got a long life ahead of me and I should be able to shape it how I want, hm.'

'You _decided_ to change?' Sasori repeated in surprise and chuckled before his voice took on a more serious tone; 'People can't just decide to change, Deidara - change is something that happens subconsciously during tough or memorable periods of someone's life; it's not a conscious action, you can't just 'decide' to change!'

'No, you're wrong,' Deidara protested sincerely; 'I agree that change may occur subconsciously during tough periods of someone's life - but I also believe that you can choose to change consciously, hm. It's not any easier - you'll still have to face trials and difficulties - but through persevering and overcoming the obstacles in the way you can truly change!'

For a moment Sasori regarded his passionate opponent in silence. Deidara had never matched him (or even come close to matching him) in bare intelligence but the young man, despite (or even perhaps because of) his simplicity, sometimes managed to top the puppet master in wisdom; it would only be sentences, sometimes mere words, but they would rile him because the truth they held was so simple that he had missed it…and Deidara hadn't. Before, he had always dismissed his partners words coldly because he didn't want to openly acknowledge his misnomer, but it was different now; it just didn't seem right anymore - what was the point in trying to keep Deidara's respect now when there was none left to keep?

'You've matured somehow,' Sasori finally admitted; it had been meant fondly but the tone turned out grudging as he was still unused to imbuing positive emotions into his speech and manner. Deidara though, being used to his old partner's awkward conduct, was actually more flattered by the reluctant nature of the speech than if it had been delivered with perfect positivism; Sasori was only really convincing when he was lying.

'I guess I'm one of those obstacles though, right? If you defeat me, Deidara, then you can change consciously, hmm?' When he was greeted with silence Sasori frowned and rubbed his temples contemplatively; in a way it was only really fair if he fought Deidara properly, but he still couldn't make his mind up to kill him. One of them had to lose though - and so although Deidara claimed that it wasn't easy for him to fight, the battle was really an obstacle more for Sasori than for the Iwagakure-nin. In an attempt to buy time Sasori reached behind him and quickly removed the scrolls from his back, dropping them into the hole on his left so that they bounced and rolled down the twisting stairs before Deidara could assume the worst and launch a counter attack.

'Fine, I'll fight you properly,' Sasori muttered, refusing to meet Deidara's gaze as he did so; 'you're without your special attack and now I'm without mine.'

'You've still got your weapon's pouch, hm,' Deidara pointed out quietly as if afraid he was pushing his luck too far. Unfazed though, Sasori swiftly detached the heavy item, letting it follow the rest as it thudded dully on the stone steps.

'I don't want to fight you, Deidara, but until I decide what I'm doing I'm fighting you for real - like you want me to. I hope you know what you're doing.'

'I think I have a better idea than you have, Sasori,' Deidara joked but it lacked mirth and sounded flat. Tightening his grip on the leant kunai though Deidara barred his teeth in anticipation of the battle before him and its outcome. 'Bring it, hm.'

* * *

_What's happening to this organisation - why's everyone losing their focus all of a sudden, heh? We've always put our pasts and our differences behind us when it came to missions, always done our best on the job and argued afterwards, so why's it all falling apart now? I don't really know why Deidara-san and Sasori-san are acting so weirdly (especially Sasori-san, because he's always been so composed and rule-abiding), but I think the best thing for me to do now is to leave the village and warn leader-sama of what's happening; Itachi-san can look after himself._

So thinking, Kisame ceased his running momentarily to glance around him, calculating the nearest wall section to where he was currently situated. It would still take a good few minutes to reach, but that didn't really bother him as he figured he'd ran far enough away from the area Deidara had caught Ino in that he'd managed to lose the ANBU backup Shikamaru had promised. He was wrong.

Turning to look back at the sheer cliff-face that seemed to be the focal point of their ruined mission, Kisame's mouth down-turned into a grim frown; he wasn't accustomed to failing missions. When he swivelled finally to face the wall he was going to breach though the frown deepened because standing there, kunai held in an offensive manner, were six masked ANBU members.

* * *

Deidara had grown stronger. It had been a while since Sasori had last fought him (in a friendly duel they had occasionally used for training purposes) but it was immediately obvious that his former partner had improved dramatically; this was, he supposed, the advantage of being human. Sasori was naturally strong, being wooden, and couldn't feel pain - but he had to admit that Deidara was probably at least as strong as him now. Not just that, but the blonde nin had also become able to easily dodge attacks, matching Sasori (who had a natural advantage, being small). Physically then, one would have to agree that they were evenly matched - but fights aren't purely decided on physical strengths and attributes.

_Neither of us are particularly skilled in close combat due to the nature of our special attacks - but I have the advantage of having lived longer; I have watched many more fights than Deidara. Also, although he told me to focus on the match, he keeps on zoning out himself. Looking at it this way I have a clear advantage, even without using my own body as a weapon._

'Sasori…' Deidara muttered, jumping back a few paces and hesitating, not looking at the puppet master; '…if I lose here, can you promise me that you won't harm Ino?'

_Tch,_ Sasori thought, frustrated; _why would I promise that? Why can't he shut up about her, even for a moment? _Seeing his opponent off-guard though Sasori took advantage of the situation and moved quickly, appearing beside Deidara and deeply slashing his right arm, drawing blood.

'Pull yourself together, Deidara,' he added for good measure, retreating before a counter-attack could be launched. 'Why tell _me_ to focus when _you're_ the one getting distracted? Aren't you an S-class nin? Don't you know how to fight? Stop thinking about _why_ you're doing this and start thinking about _how_! You've already made up your mind, haven't you? Being so caught up in your intentions is only going to ruin the outcome.'

'Stop trying to help me!' Was the irate reply; 'I don't need your bullshit, hm.' Sasori noted that he sounded pained and, focusing his attention on the wound he had inflicted, he realised that it was probably going to leave a scar. This didn't stop Deidara from fighting though as the kunai was simply transferred to his left hand; luckily, Sasori remembered, his old partner was ambidextrous.

The next attacks were hurried and intense and Sasori wondered if this was because Deidara was trying to take his advice and focus more fully on the battle; perhaps though they were simply encouraged by hatred for his remarks. Either way he was glad because, after realising his advantage in the match, he had felt as if he needed to spur Deidara on, to make the match fairer.

_Stay calm,_ Sasori silently advised the clay user, mindful of how easily angered his opponent was; _you're not going to win if you let passion consume you; you're not going to stand a chance._

As if telepathically hearing the words Deidara tired and toned down his attacks, circling slowly instead and looking for a weak spot. Sasori turned with him, making sure his back wasn't left open although he figured he could probably block such an attack if he really needed to. It was actually interesting to fight Deidara properly; friendly duels seemed nothing to this. Not only had he improved so much, but the intent had changed completely; it was somehow intriguing, the alien, enemy intent coming off of his old partner.

_Ah, come on then, attack me already. You're only wasting time like this - and I don't want Itachi to come back because he thinks I'm taking too long._ Seeing a pained, regretful expression flash across Deidara's face though offset him and, frowning, Sasori rebuked him again silently; _I thought I told you to stop thinking and getting distracted? Do I really have to wound you again to snap you out of it?_

'Sasori…' Deidara started again, sounding troubled, and Sasori sighed, readying himself for another attack and aiming for the left arm this time. 'At least give Ino a head start, Ok? At leas-'

Speech was cut off as the metal pierced the soft flesh of Deidara's arm - but instead of drawing blood there was only smoke and the soft 'puff' sound which had proved fatal to so many shinobi. For the first time in the whole of the battle Sasori felt his heart pump a little faster and his vision was enhanced, adrenaline kicking in; _God-damnit, how could I be so stupid?_ He knew he should jump or throw himself to the side in order to evade the attack he was sure was only a second or two away (if that) but he turned instead, stupidly allowing his subconscious to take control as he dithered in uncertainty and shock. He saw Deidara a split second before he felt the metal pierce his heart.

Silence. It was as if he'd gone deaf - as if the realisation of his defeat had somehow robbed him of all senses; he could hardly see, such was his shock. What kind of shinobi falls for such a simple trick? What kind of S-class missing nin is so pathetic that he doesn't dodge an attack so fatal? What kind of immortal can die?

'Ah…' He could hear then, but why had his mouth moved without command? What a pitiful sound!

'Danna?' Was that worry? He tried to laugh but it hurt - and then feeling returned and he felt sick. What was happening to him? He felt more human than he had in years; needless to say it was not a nice experience. This pain was worse than the numbness and at first it only isolated himself more, such was the force of it; surroundings disappeared as his eyes rolled back but he gritted his teeth angrily, intent on staying awake. This wound was fatal - he didn't need a medic to tell him that - and he was sure as hell not going to give in to it that easily. After all that he'd lived through he was, in his opinion, entitled to a few last words.

'Why didn't you dodge, hm?' Deidara sounded empty, like he wasn't sure what to do now that he'd won - as if he hadn't thought that far. Sasori wasn't sure he could answer; he'd wanted to dodge, he really had, but then why hadn't he? His eyes were still unfocused due to the pain but he forced himself to concentrate on the ground until he was seeing clearly the grey rocks and the steadily growing crimson pool. The dripping sound of his own blood was very noticeable and he realised that his senses had been somehow heightened. He felt a little less sick now that his attention had been diverted somewhat from the pain.

'You didn't think I'd win, hm.'

'No,' Sasori disagreed, annoyed at how difficult it was to talk; 'It was certainly a possibility. I was just trying not to think of the outcome.'

_Ah, it's a very tight sort of pain this - and sharp. Ah, ow, damn, damn, why does it have to hurt so much? _

'I'm sorry. I'm sorry it had to come to this, Sasori.'

_Why is he talking to me? I'm not dead yet; doesn't he see the danger? I could easily kill him at this distance. He's so stupid!_

Gritting his teeth and trying to ignore the liquid trying to force its way up his throat, Sasori raised a hand to Deidara's shoulder and helped himself to stand up. He meant to face Deidara properly, to not show how weak he was, but the pain was so biting as he moved that he ended up collapsing on to his killer instead, his chin resting on the taller man's shoulder with his hand.

'Eh, danna?'

Ignoring the honorific, Sasori bit his lip to keep the blood from rising any nearer to his mouth, refusing the instinct to gag. It worked in as much that he was able to raise his right hand, the one still at his side and holding the kunai, to press against Deidara's back before the warm liquid trickled into the bottom of his mouth. He spat it out but the effort was wasted as it was quickly replaced.

_At this rate, I don't have long to go._

Deidara's heart rate had increased, Sasori could feel it, but it took him a while to speak. When he finally did it was in a low voice, as if he was afraid that it would break if he spoke any louder; 'You want to kill me too, danna?' There was so much emotion in the quiet question that Sasori wasn't sure how to respond. It was as if Deidara wanted to say much more but wasn't sure how to or even what he wanted to say; perhaps he wanted to ask why, or beg for his life, or remind Sasori that it wouldn't be fair to kill the winner of an even match. Regardless, he said none of this.

'Aren't I allowed a dying wish?' Sasori wondered back, equally as low, the blood distorting his words. Coughing and spitting out more blood in frustration, he continued, 'I always thought I'd kill myself because I couldn't bear losing to a foe…but I think I wanted you to win, Deidara. _Ah_, it hurts.' For a moment he was quiet, his breathing laboured as he struggled with the acute tightening of his heart and silently cursed the stream of blood filling his mouth.

'You shouldn't be standing, danna,' Deidara muttered, worry entering his tone once again, 'It's putting extra strain on you.' Upon attempting to lower Sasori to the ground though the kunai was pressed harder into his back and he froze.

'Stop it.' Sasori's tone was grim. 'Do you think you're going to get out of it that easily?' The kunai tip moved, drawing blood, to emphasise his meaning. Deidara seemed surprising unbothered by this.

'Just kneel Sasori - I'll kneel too if you want, hm. I'm not trying to 'get out of it'.'

Hesitantly Sasori relented, the blood on the ground soaking through his tracksuit bottoms and staining the wood underneath. His heart almost gave way at the movement and he ended up choking for a good minute on the increasing level of blood flooding his throat.

_How long have I got? At this rate only a few minutes at most. My life is slipping away and I can't do anything about it! I should think about my life, sort through memories - but I've lived so long…and what's the point anyway? When I die there'll be nothing - thinking of my life will only waste what precious time I've got left. But why should it be precious if nothing will come of it? This life is meaningless - and yet I've clung to it so long, believing that I could avoid death. Death is what makes life meaningless, but I was stupid if I thought I could avoid it. How stupid. No one is ever truly immortal, no matter how long they cheat death for - I should have learnt from Hidan and Kakuzu. What an idiot I've been._

'Danna…' Deidara wondered, waiting for the puppet master to look up before he continued, averting his eyes as he spoke; 'I…I know you haven't got long left so I'm not going to make it difficult for you. If you truly want to, ah, want to take me with you then I'm not going to stop you. Ah, I mean - the times we spent together…I really enjoyed them, yeah. You influenced me greatly and I really admired you and, hm, I'm already beginning to find it hard to imagine a world without you in it so…' He paused there but when Sasori didn't answer, still trying to take the information in, he continued quickly, 'I still love Ino of course - and she's the first person in my life…but I think she'll be happy enough in Konoha. All her friends are here and there's that guy…Shikamaru…and she has a job an-'

'Stop trying to convince yourself.' Sasori's voice was sounding weaker by the minute and the blood, freely flowing from the side of his mouth, made it harder to understand him - but Deidara stopped speaking as soon as the ex-Sunagakure nin spoke for he still held his old authority. 'I'm not going to kill you. I can't. But that you would willingly die with me and leave Ino alone…I'm satisfied.' _Because you can't put her first if that's the case. You can't really believe that Ino would be happy without you, can you? Choosing to die with me and leaving her alone…that puts me first._

'Danna…'

'I'm going to die in a minute,' Sasori cut in, effectively silencing Deidara with his calm tone. 'May I change my last wish?' Surprised, Deidara nodded and so Sasori hesitated a moment, wondering how to say it in as few words as possible. In the end it did not take long to say, despite his frequent pauses for breath. He collapsed onto Deidara when he had finished, so weak he could no longer support himself.

_The pain is somewhat duller now - is that because I'm used to it? Maybe because I'm getting numb. I didn't imagine dying like this…but it's not too bad really. I always thought I'd die alone - but I think perhaps this is nicer; dying in my murderer's arms. Ahaha._

'Sorry Danna,' Deidara muttered again, the smaller man's breathing giving away his still-living status, 'But I'll see you in Hell, right?'

Sasori's ability to chuckle had been reduced to a sharp exhalation of air but he couldn't help trying to laugh at Deidara; his worry, which far outdid Sasori's own, was entertaining. He'd never really believed in Hell or life after death either, although he'd sometimes said something similar to enemies of his. It was almost touching, how intent Deidara was on seeing him again; but he could give him no answer for his vision was already fading. He closed his eyes, as if willing death to come faster now that there was nothing left to say.

_So this is the death of Akasuna no Sasori, the infamous puppet master from Sunagakure, pride of his nation, hmm? Ahaha, how pathetic. What does it matter what I've done and what I've achieved when life is so easily ended? I guess it doesn't matter. Not anymore. _

_I can't even feel my body anymore._

_Sound is the last sense to go - so when I cannot even hear my breathing then I'll be dead._

_Hmm._

_Goodbye Deidara._

_Goodbye world._

_

* * *

_

Finito.

Awahwah. Sorry again it took so long but perhaps you can understand now why I was having trouble motivating myself for this chapter...?(considering Sasori's my fav. character and all...) :'(. Still, I think he had to go. It would have been hard to have a happy ending with him in it and it just somehow felt right to bump him off about now. Ahh - I'm probably never going to be satisfied with how this turned out but I hope you guys are happy anyway. Oh - and sorry to all you people who get annoyed when I kill people...but a lot of you were saying you hate Sasori in this fic and again, in order for a happy ending...

Anyway, reviews are very much appreciated - I'd especially like your opinions on this chapter because my view is fairly biased. Besides, I need some cheering up after this. ;)

~~And thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter!

**StreetRacerSakura** - Ahaha, thanks very much. :)

**Yukimura Asaka** - Wah - sorry I tok so loong! But yes, I will def. continue updating. :)

**Fallen star that finds light** - Oh dear - this is probably even more sad...but I think the next chapter won't be!

**Leiaah** - Aha, so your question is answered! Nope, no one broke up the fight (though a reasonable guestimate considering my love for Sasori) ;). & Glad the A-levels were Ok!

Love,

~WfCP xxx


	29. The Only One Who Matters

Hey!

Only nineteen days since my last chapter! That's better than the one-month wait that has become a standard for this fic anyway...

SO...a little less depressing, this chapter, but only a little. :P I can't help it that my writing tends to steer itself towards a darker perspective though!! Anyway, no-one dies so you should be happy about that.

Read & Enjoy!

* * *

_So this is the death of Akasuna no Sasori, the infamous puppet master from Sunagakure, pride of his nation, hmm? Ahaha, how pathetic. What does it matter what I've done and what I've achieved when life is so easily ended? I guess it doesn't matter. Not anymore. _

_I can't even feel my body anymore._

_Sound is the last sense to go - so when I cannot even hear my breathing then I'll be dead._

_Hmm._

_Goodbye Deidara._

_Goodbye world._

* * *

'Whooo! I can see the Hokages!' Kiba hollered joyfully, bringing Akamaru to a sharp halt on the top of a small hill. The trees stretching out before them went on for a good couple of miles yet but beyond them the sand-coloured cliff with it's carved landmarks faced them, the first glimpse of home in what had felt much longer than the three weeks they had actually been away for.

'Ah, i-it's good to be home,' Hinata agreed, knowing that by now they must have at least entered Konoha even if their actual town was still less than half an hour away. The good mood was spoilt somewhat though by Shino's darkened aura.

'I don't have a good feeling about this,' he voiced, although it was unnecessary because his uncertainty had already been noted by his comrades. 'My bugs are uneasy - I think we should hurry.'

The Hokage faces, next time they looked, seemed a bit different - as if Shino's words had somehow managed to darken the stone, and the next few miles were travelled in relative silence, each wondering what kind of shadowy calamity awaited them there. Needless to say, none of them expected Akatsuki.

* * *

Sasori was really beginning to annoy him; the red-head's stubborn character and silent musings being only two of his problematic personality traits. It was as if the puppet master thought the world revolved solely around him, as if the problems weighing down on him had to be sorted out before anything else could move forward - it was really bugging Itachi. This was, he supposed, why Akatsuki worked in pairs and rarely joined together to form larger forces; It was just too difficult to get used to another pair and how they worked in the short space of time allocated. The extra stress on the two pairs was just impractical, deviating their attentions away from the mission at hand. Personal problems had always waited until the end of missions to be sorted out; members immersed themselves in the successful completion of the mission and so forgot other matters. That was simply how good ninjas were supposed to function - and how Akatsuki always had until then.

_Sasori though…I just can't fathom him. I can only assume that the weight of his problems was greater than we took into consideration - so great that it overrode his inbuilt system of living, his automatic fighting subconscious. His problems, at least partly, revolve around Deidara though - and so whilst I was reluctant to let him fight it out there, knowing he will take longer, perhaps it is for the better in a way. When he finally manages to kill Deidara he will manage to overcome a large portion of his problems as well. I believe he will be able to function well enough then to complete this mission before he cracks. At the very least I _hope_ he will be able to function; it's up to him now, the success of this mission - it all depends on Sasori and his victory over Deidara._

Emerging into the sunlight from the shadows of the Hokage faces Itachi paused a moment, surveying the town with worn eyes. Failing a mission was not unheard of but it brought shame to the members - and it was never a nice thing to be the one to have to tell Pein. A small earthquake and a spiral column of water alerted Itachi to the fact that Kisame was fighting over to his left and using his sharingan he could see that there were six ANBU members attacking him. He was tempted to help his partner but decided that, overall, it would be better to head for the ANBU base and attack that outright; Kisame could handle himself fairly well against nameless opponents and so long as he, with his sharingan, could keep the rest of the ANBU busy then when Sasori came he could get through to Naruto fairly easily - and once the brat was captured it would be time to leave.

'So it really does all rest on you Sasori,' Itachi muttered grimly, keeping his eyes fixed on the ANBU base as he spoke; 'I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I really don't think I've ever left a mission hanging on such a dubious last hope before.'

_Tch. What am I hesitating for?_ Itachi rebuked himself a moment later though;_ Sasori loves himself too much to die. He won't lose._

* * *

There is a kind of emptiness that overwhelms us at times in our lives, a numb feeling that blocks all other emotions; the calm before the storm. Sasori was dead, Deidara had killed him; they were just facts, nothing more. In a world where death is common, where 'murderer' is a valid job description, one life's end pales into insignificance. So why do people mourn? Surely if someone cries for one death, they should cry for all deaths - but that philosophy is stupid as it will ultimately lead to their own death (as they would not have time to eat or sleep). It makes much more sense to not cry at all. The concept of mourning is stupid. Mourning is stupid.

_If mourning is stupid, as I've always believed, then why can't I stop the tears? I _know_ it's stupid and I'm trying not to cry, but it's not in my control, hm. Thinking brings back self awareness though, and that brings the pain. Numbness is so much better than pain. Pain is a burden; I'm beginning to see Sasori's point about being a puppet with no pain and limited feelings. Aren't feelings just a burden too?_

The tears did not last long; crying exhausts itself with time, leaving more emptiness and fatigue. Life is so easily banished, what's the point? Thinking though is too hard; it would be better to never think too deeply, never have to ponder the darker matters of life. Philosophising is a dull sport when one considers death and pain and negative emotions; one might say, perhaps, that it's even destructive.

_I need to move, I need to get up and keep moving; I can't stay here any longer, hm. It's over._

Standing brought it's own problems; what to do now, where to go? Sasori had asked to change his last wishes, but Deidara was pretty confident that they could wait - at least a little while longer. He just needed to get away from the village, get away from the accursed mission and the trouble it had brought.

_Yet…not just trouble. It didn't just bring trouble, hm._

That's right, there was Ino. He couldn't forget her, he mustn't forget her, he _wouldn't_ forget her. Where was she though? He'd given her to Shikamaru, asked him to take her to a hospital, to help her…

_I need to get to the hospital, I need to take her with me and then get out of here. Sasori…for the moment, I'll hide his body here; I'll come and collect it later. Right now, Ino is the priority. Right now, Ino is the only one who matters._

* * *

_Nngh,_ Ino thought incoherently as she started to regain consciousness, _where the hell am I?_ Moving her arm slightly helped her discover that she was on a bed because the light sheets were easily recognisable. With her senses quickly returning Ino was soon able to open her eyes, ascertaining that she was in one of the hospital beds…again. The window was propped open with a wedge of wood, letting a cool breeze in, and her chest, when she began to examine herself, was completely bandaged. When she tried to sit up the wound ached and pained so, taking the hint, she refrained.

_What happened to me? Why am I in hospital again? Where's Deidara?_

Thinking back, Ino remembered the small camp she had helped set up in the woods outside Konohagakure with Deidara and the three other Akatsuki members. Then how she had been stubborn, insisting on talking to Sasori…and how she had found out about the plan to 'kill' her. The rest came flooding back to her then, coming so quickly that she barely had a chance to process each memory before it skipped onto the next one. She had been waiting in the Hokage faces after her escape, waiting for the Deidara that never came. Sasori and Itachi had come instead, and had tried to kill her. Fleeing, she had found the stairs leading to the top of the cliff and, not wanting to endanger the citizens, had run to the edge of the cliff. It was a stupid move, now she thought back on it, but it had made sense at the time. Then Sasori had spoken to her again, with the disgust in his eyes she was so used to seeing from him, and then…?

_Yes, I remember now; he threw a kunai at me, didn't he? That's why I'm here, with my chest bandaged. I guess I'm lucky I'm still alive actually! Why didn't I die? Surely I fell off the cliff…and the drop in itself is enough to kill someone…ah, I don't know. I can only think that I managed to land on something that broke my fall enough to prevent my death - and from there somebody saw me and took me to the hospital? I guess that's the most sensible guess. So then, where is Deidara? Why didn't he meet me in the Hokage faces?_

Biting her lip thoughtfully, Ino almost didn't notice the door open and a head poke itself around the side, checking in on her.

'Shizune!' She gasped though when she looked up, surprised to be interrupted so suddenly from her thoughts. The black haired woman bobbed her head in recognition, entering the room fully before shutting the door behind her.

'Ino - how are you?' There was genuine concern in her voice, which Ino half-expected now - but there was also something else, something strained about her whole approach.

'Not great,' Ino admitted, guarding her own speech somewhat after realising the change in Shizune's tones; 'but better for whoever fixed me up.'

'Tsunade healed you.' Shizune took her time looking out of the window before removing the wood and letting the glass rattle closed, cutting off the breeze.

'Ah - it was nice actually, having fresh air,' Ino spoke up hesitantly, not altogether sure why Shizune had bothered shutting the window in the first place.

'Sorry, but it was getting cold in here; your back's a bit stiff from the fall so it would be better if it was kept warm.' The practical reason did nothing to alley the awkwardness.

'Where's Tsuande now?' Ino ventured, changing the topic in favour of the Hokage in the hope that Shizune would drop her guard a little and act more normal. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect as Shizune's mouth tightened and she resumed gazing out of the window with renewed vigour. After a little while though she reluctantly glanced towards Ino.

'Outside this window is a sight none of us ever wished to see. Konohagakure is being attacked. Can you guess who by?'

The way the question was asked suggested that Shizune already knew that Ino could guess and as if she was bitter about it. Ino wasn't sure what to say back; yes, she could guess quite easily who was attacking, but that didn't mean she was proud of them or endorsed the attack. Did Shizune suspect her of helping them? In a way, Ino _had_ helped them, but only at the very start, when she had taken them into the village and shown them around; Itachi and Kisame really had very little to do with her.

'Let me see,' she answered at last, trying to lift herself up so she could see out of the window. At first Shizune resisted but finally she relented and helped prop the young blonde up into a sitting position on the bed. Outside the window the ANBU base was visible and Ino could see fire devastating the area, occasional ANBU members appearing from the blaze and throwing projectiles. Further away she caught sight of a tower of water with a dragon's head rearing up eerily form the normally-quiet streets, only to come crashing down on the surrounding buildings with sufficient force to crush them to dust. People who disregarded citizen's livelihood so completely could only be Akatsuki. It had been Ino's first guess anyhow.

'Itachi and Kisame.'

'Oh? You're on first-name terms with them now, are you?' Shizune's biting comment stung, especially considering the two ninja in question had been trying to kill her just outside the walls of Konohagakure that morning. Of course she wasn't friendly with them…but it was a force of habit to call them that after listening to Deidara and Sasori refer to them as such.

_So that's why you're acting distant from me, Shizune? Because you think I'm in cahoots with Akatsuki?_ Ino wanted to openly accuse the other woman but stopped herself at the last minute, a worrying thought crossing her mind; _aren't you, though? Deidara is technically still an Akatsuki, right? …or is he? Even if he isn't, I still let him and Sasori into the village; technically I'm in 'cahoots' with them then, right?_ Confused, Ino's only mode of defence was to change the subject.

'Who brought me here? How come I survived the fall?'

'Shikamaru brought you here,' was the automatic answer, quickly delivered; the rest took a little longer to come. 'He said that an Akatsuki gave you to him, that the Akatsuki had been holding you in his arms, had caught you, and was desperate for you to receive immediate medical attention. Tsunade healed you as soon as you were admitted.'

Ino took the information in silently; Itachi and Sasori had been on the cliff with her, which would only leave Kisame and Deidara as suspects for catching her. It had to be Deidara though, for Kisame wouldn't have been at all concerned for her safety; only Deidara would have asked for her to be taken to the hospital.

_I miss him,_ she admitted to herself, staring out of the window forlornly. Where was he anyway? Itachi and Kisame were not trying to keep themselves hidden, but there was no trace of Sasori or Deidara anywhere that she could see. She wanted to get up and search for him but knew, even before Shizune berated her, that her attempt to escape the room would be impossible; she couldn't even exit the bed.

'How many of them are there?' Shizune interrogated a few minutes later, turning to eye Ino warily. It felt weird to be under suspicion like that but Ino knew that the distrust was well deserved. Should she say though? Presumably Deidara had been seen because he'd handed her to Shikamaru - and Itachi and Kisame were blatantly obvious in their attacks; did they know about Sasori though? Plus, where _was_ Deidara? If he'd been seen and handed her over then did that mean he'd been caught?

'Shizune-' Ino started, intent on asking about Deidara, but she was cut off by the older woman.

'No, nevermind. If you don't want to tell me then I can't force you - that's not my job. Ino…there are many wounded coming into the hospital, as would be expected, and I have to leave now. Please be sensible and stay here; you won't be able to get far in that condition anyway.'

_She's leaving me on my own? Even though she suspects me so much? I mean, I guess she's right about me not being able to go very far in this state but still…!_

As she was leaving though Shizune added, as an afterthought, 'Though perhaps I'll send one of the juniors up to sit with you until Ibiki can get here.'

She left before Ino could say anything more or protest at Shizune's last sentence. She was OK with someone coming to sit with her, that wasn't really very troubling at all, but since when had Ibiki been mentioned? Even though she was suspicious, having _Ibiki_ come to interrogate her was out of the question; she had to get out of there before he came.

* * *

_We're almost there,_ Sai had to remind himself as he ran, the other members of the team sent out to Keikoto running with equal exhaustion around him. They hadn't taken a single break since they had set out from the quaint village, mindful of Akatsuki's level of ability and potential to cause damage, but that simply meant that they were all shattered. Chances were that, if they had to fight when they reached the gates of Konohagakure, it wouldn't be anywhere near their usual standard of fighting. _That rather defeats the point, doesn't it?_

It shocked Sai when three more ninjas appeared in front of him and his surrounding team members because he would have expected to sense their chakras; then again he supposed that, having pushed himself flat out running, he was no longer as alert as he would usually have been. Testament to this was the fact that the three ninjas weren't even trying to mask their chakra; they were friends.

'Oi! You guys, what are you doing looking so exhausted? You look half dead! (what mission were you on?)' Kiba called, a little surprised, from in front as the ninjas all ground to a halt. Kiba, Hinata and Shino along with Akamaru were relatively well rested, although it looked like they'd been hurring the last few miles, but the others were so tired that it took a while for any of them to work up enough energy to respond.

'Kiba, Hinata, Shino…I forgot you were away on a mission,' Kakashi finally replied when he'd caught his breath; 'we were sent to an area where Akatsuki were reported to have been seen, but it was a rouse; I think they slipped past us and may now be in Konohagakure. We don't have time to talk though - we need to reach the village as quickly as possible and apprehend any danger that awaits it there.'

Sai noted that the three new comers didn't look as shocked as he'd thought they would at the news. Shino explained that he'd felt as if something was wrong but it was apparent that none had been expecting Akatsuki. The dialogue did not last long, being Shino who was speaking.

'Let's go then!' Kiba enthused, wasting no more words but quickly turning and setting off towards the gates which were barely more than a quarter of a mile away. The rest followed without exception, though it was hard to move their weary limbs and get started running again once they had stopped. Sai wondered what the chances were that there would be no threat and no Akatsuki when they did finally reach the village.

_The easiest way to get an answer, I suppose, will be to wait and see,_ was his conclusion.

* * *

Finito!

Hmm, so you might have noticed but this chapter was basically just to get things sorted out time-wise. It's all coming to a head now so expect some more fighting-based sections in the next couple of chapters, OK?

Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter;

**kimichi -** :D aww, thanks so much! I thought I might have been compromising the quality of this story because I wanted to end it quickly, but perhaps not. I'm glad you liked the way Sasori died; I really did want to give him a nice death!

**konanxpein0** - :( I know - sad, right? But yeah, I think he's probably happier this way - and everyone else will be happier as well! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

Well, I don't know how many chapters I've got left but five/six doesn't sound too unrealistic. Therefore, because I want the reviews to have reached **_200_** by the end of this story, could you all **please** help out and **send in a review?**

love,

~WfCP xxx :)

* * *


	30. Fire

Hey all!

So it's been about a month (I think) since the last chapter. Well, that seems to be the average time now. Sorry if it's too long but some people update much less so hopefully you can still remember what happened in the last chapter!

I'd like to add here that I'm starting sixthform in a couple of days. I'm taking 5 AS levels whilst teaching myself a GCSE ( for the Americans out there (because I think your system is different...?) I'm basically taking two extra subjects) so I'll be a little busy academically, trying to keep up with stuff. I've also got a weekend job at a nearby gift shop in order to pay for an hour of private tutoring a week (for my extra AS level) so I'll be tired and grumpy.

I don't know how much this is going to affect the updates for this story. Hopefully it won't change anything, but I'll try to keep you posted on my profile as to the state of the next chapter etc. Anyway, I just wanted to let people know! :)

Read & Enjoy!

* * *

Sai wondered what the chances were that there would be no threat and no Akatsuki when they did finally reach the village.

_The easiest way to get an answer, I suppose, is to wait and see_, was his conclusion.

* * *

Mindful of how little time she had, Ino looked around frantically for something to support herself with so she could escape the room before Ibiki arrived. Seeing nothing satisfactory she cursed quietly, pressing her hand to her chest as her wound began to ache again. She applied a small amount of healing chakra it and suddenly realised how silly she had been; why look for something to help her walk when she could just heal herself so that she could move without help? Almost laughing at her stupidity Ino poured chakra into the wound, taking away the pain. When she could move safely, with only a small ache to remind her of her wound, she exited the bed and moved to the window, wondering if she could escape that way and so avoid the medics who were no doubt roaming the corridors tending to the influx of patients. Unfortunately she was on the highest floor of the hospital and had little chakra left to break her fall should she jump; her wound was not yet healed enough to be able to take the impact without complaint either.

Itachi and Kisame were still obvious in their attacks, water and fire devastating the village, and Ino frowned, an uneasy feeling stirring in her gut; she thought it felt something akin to guilt. Was it really her fault that they were here? Was it really her fault that Konohagakure was being attacked? She had shown Sasori and Deidara into the village and given them shelter, even though she knew they were Akatsuki and that their intentions couldn't be good, even though she knew that they had killed her comrade, Chouji…but she hadn't shown them willingly, had she? They had captured her and were going to kill her if she didn't comply. No matter how hard she argued the issue though Ino knew that the guilt would remain; as a kunoichi she was expected to die for her village and never betray it.

_It's a harsh rule_, she mused, drumming her fingers on the windowsill contemplatively as her eyes silently followed the movements of the two Akatsuki. _I love Konohagakure and don't want to see it fall, but to ask for self-sacrifice…? I shouldn't have led them here but allowing myself to die was too hard. I couldn't do it._

_Chances are they would have gotten in anyway._

The sound of the door opening made Ino stiffen, her eyes focusing on the glass so she could see back into the room, using the window as a mirror. She expected to see Ibiki, the master of torture, standing in her room but it was someone of a lot shorter stature that was actually reflected in the shiny glass.

'Chikari,' Ino acknowledged quietly, turning to face the young medic nin who she had helped when Deidara had been admitted into the hospital. Her voice was flat as she remembered that Shizune had said something about getting another medic nin to sit in on her until Ibiki could make it. When she turned to face the younger girl she was surprised to see the absence of the frivolity and friendliness she had sensed on their first meeting. In contrast Chikari looked distrusting, a frown adorning her simple face.

'You shouldn't be wandering around just yet, Ino-san,' she rebuked though her tones weren't harsh; 'Please return to you bed.'

Ino realised then that all respect for her had been lost; apparently her crimes were publicly known. She would never be able to stay in Konoha under normal circumstances again. Swallowing painfully, she returned to her bed.

* * *

Konohagakure looked very small from above; almost vulnerable, Deidara mused. It didn't help that fierce, exaggerated attacks were dealing destruction on the small houses and people; Itachi and Kisame were certainly making no effort to hide themselves.

_It's almost as if they're trying to be noticed…but why? They're both fighting the ANBU, but their real target is Naruto, hm. It would be better to infiltrate the ANBU base and take the Kyuubi with as little attention as possible, bearing in mind there are only two of them…_

Realisation suddenly dawned on Deidara as he glanced back to the side of one of the houses, where he had left Sasori's body and hidden it with rocks he had dragged from nearby. _Of course! Itachi thinks Sasori will win and come to help them, hm. By being obvious in their attacks they are drawing the ANBU out of their base leaving the route to Naruto open for Sasori to take. The exaggerated nature of their techniques would also alert Sasori to their positions, and I'm sure he was clever enough to understand what Itachi wanted him to do…_ Deidara sighed then, letting his eyes linger on the place where Sasori's body was hidden. He really didn't want to think about his old team member more than he had to at the minute. His priority was Ino and getting her out of the village before she got hurt; thinking of Sasori would only distract him.

_Ino should be in the hospital - there's so much activity around that area that it would be easy for me to blast my way in and rescue her, but they're obviously on the alert for Akatsuki now and that plan could easily backfire (especially as I don't have any clay with me, hm). Perhaps it would be better to try to sneak into the hospital…and if that fails then I can fight my way out. _

_But they know what I look like._

'I guess I'll have to disguise myself, hm,' Deidara conceded finally with a frown. Reaching up he removed his metal eye cover, blinking his left eye several times to adjust it to the light of day; it had been a while since the left side of his face had been exposed and it made him feel weirdly nervous. Biting his lip to steel himself for the next stage in his transformation he gripped the kunai in his hand tightly and closed his eyes as the long blonde strands dropped lightly to the floor and scattered themselves prettily around him. He was surprised at how light he felt now that the weight of his long hair was lifted. He winced though as he ran his hand through his now-short locks, glad that there wasn't anything reflective nearby so he was spared having to see how it looked; he had always liked his hair long.

He was already wearing hospital scrubs, not having had a chance to change since his escape from the hospital with Ino. They were dirty now though, covered with both mud and grime from the forest as well as spatters of Sasori's blood. The blood wouldn't be so much of a problem since he was going to pretend to be a hurt patient, but the mud was harder to explain. Sighing, Deidara looked around him, hoping to find a source of water somewhere. The houses, arranged in a crude circle, immediately caught his attention.

_I can't spend too long here though_, he reminded himself, frowning back down at the hospital. Getting up from his crouching position he quickly retreated from the side of the cliff so he wouldn't be spotted before glancing back at the nearest house.

_I won't be long. Hm._

* * *

ANBU were annoying. They weren't quite good enough to be interesting opponents but they were very good at wasting time and chakra. Kisame growled softly as he stared at the one lying unconscious at his feet before he brought Samehada crashing down on the man's mask, smashing his skull at the same time. It was an unnecessary action but it made him feel a little better. The rest of the six ANBU who had first attacked him and the next five who had followed were scattered at various points around the shark-nin, some in the street he was standing in, some in the rubble surroundings. Now that he had finished dispensing his adversary he could finally leave the village, but the thought was not so pleasing as it had been before. He thought the best thing to do would be to abandon the mission, but it seemed like Itachi had begun to fight ANBU members as well, nearer to the base where the Kyuubi brat was suppose to be held - and abandoning his partner was something Kisame was reluctant to do. After a moment of thought Kisame decided it would be best to find Itachi and consult with him first; maybe Itachi was only fighting because he, too, felt reluctant abandoning his partner and had seen Kisame fighting the ANBU. It would be best if they both agreed to abort the mission.

_Sasori-san and Deidara-san have probably done so already as I can't see them anywhere. Either that or they are being very discreet in their attacks._

So thinking, Kisame turned and began to pick his way through the remains of the houses around him, heading towards where he could still see fire filling the sky; it seemed like Itachi was acting as a beacon for him. Some of the bodies he passed didn't have masks but he paid little attention to these - innocents who had gotten in the way were still part of Konohagakure and he felt no remorse for killing them. They were of little importance anyway.

_In fact, it's working in my favour,_ Kisame chuckled to himself mentally as he entered streets that hadn't been affected by his wide-ranging destruction; people who had ventured out to gaze at the fights in horrified awe fled or hid as they saw him approach. _It doesn't look like I'm going to be bothered by anyone now until I reach Itachi-san! Heh._

'Halt, Akatsuki.'

Kisame stopped at the order, fleeting surprise registering on his face before he slowly turned to face his addresser. There were actually several ninjas facing him and he noted, with interest, that none of them were ANBU members. He assumed that the ninja standing closest to him had been the one to speak; he tried not to laugh at the man's attire but couldn't suppress a smirk as he saw an identically dressed, younger ninja behind him. His hand gripped Samehada tightly.

'I'd prefer it if you'd just leave me alone,' he replied simply, looking at the area behind them as if taking in the amount of devastation he had caused for the first time. 'It might be better for you as well.'

'What are your intentions? Why are you attacking Konohagakure?' This time it was another ninja who spoke and Kisame blinked in surprise as he recognised the white-haired man. This time he laughed outright.

'Haha! Fancy seeing you here, Hatake Kakashi! Do you remember the last time we fought? I'm surprised you're still alive; it takes a lot to survive Itachi's eyes!'

'I remember,' was the blunt response. 'Answer my question.'

Kisame sobered at the tone, his eyes narrowing. 'It doesn't matter why I'm here, Kakashi-san. If you're going to get in my way then I'm going to have to fight you now whatever my intentions are…and this time I'll make sure you don't survive.'

'Kakashi - my team will be perfectly capable of fighting this one. Take Sai and go help the ANBU.' Gai seemed concerned that history between Kakashi and Kisame might get in the way but Kakashi smiled thinly in response and shook his head.

'No, Gai, don't underestimate Kisame. I'm sure the ANBU are doing just fine…and besides, I'd prefer to stay here.'

'Heh,' Kisame grinned, bringing Samehada down from his shoulder to rest point down on the ground, ready to begin a fight. Perhaps this one would be worth his time. At the very least it would be more interesting than fighting the ANBU.

Kakashi raised his left hand and lifted his headband, meeting Kisame's smirk with a tight smile of his own as his eye opened to reveal the familiar, blood-red sharingan.

'I think it's about time we had a rematch, Kisame.'

* * *

It had been surprising to find out that the stairs Itachi had taken from the top of the cliff had led down into the Hokage faces Ino had shown Sasori and himself days previous, but he supposed it made sense that the caves behind the faces were used as a tunnel system from the village to the houses on top. He hadn't lingered long in the explosion-moulded caverns this time though, intent on getting to the hospital.

The streets were busy with people running here and there and families carrying small packs of belongings as they hurried towards the nearest exit from the village. As he neared the centre Deidara found that he began to get pushed and jostled, such were the level of the crowds. He hadn't realised before the effect that ninja battles had on the ordinary population; he had always been one of the ninja fighting, always been separated from the civilians as he jumped across the roofs.

'Kusou,' Deidara cursed quietly, the profanity lost amongst the shouts and cries. He kept to the wall as much as possible in the hope of being able to slip through easier, frustrated that, due to his disguise, he couldn't travel via the roofs in case he was identified as a ninja. The mass of people around him moved in a confused pattern, travelling in different directions so long as it led them towards the walls. He cursed again as he felt something hard connect with his thigh and looked down to see a mop of untidy blonde hair trying to navigate its way around his legs.

'Hey,' he complained gruffly, reaching down to catch the back of the young boy's shirt before he could weave his way forward again. Startled green eyes, wide with fear, stared up at his and Deidara suddenly felt uncomfortable. Releasing his grip, he was surprised to note that the boy lingered for a brief second before turning and ducking his way through the sea of people before him. To his left a baby was crying, the mother too busy trying to keep hold of her daughter's hand to tend to it; Deidara quickly looked away.

Thinking back to the battles he had fought as an Akatsuki he couldn't help but wonder if they had caused this level of fear and panic among the ordinary citizens. He felt intrinsically guilty at the thought and so tried to keep his eyes on the ground.

An alleyway suddenly opened up to his right and he ducked into it gratefully. There were still a couple of people using the thin passage but they were travelling in the opposite direction to him and once he emerged at the other side he was relieved to find that the crowd had lessoned significantly; it also meant that he was nearer to the centre and so closer to the hospital. It was indescribably pleasant to be away from the jumbled mass of rushed, terrified citizens. Deidara sighed, wiping a hand across his brow in relief.

_I can see the Hokage's building now so if I head towards that then the hospital should soon become visible; I think they're relatively close to one another, hm._

The cloak he had taken from one of the houses on the cliff was long and itchy and after having endured the crowds Deidara was beginning to feel the heat acutely. It didn't help, he supposed, that Itachi was still using the Uchiha's trademark jutsu of breathing fire; the air in the centre was gradually heating up to an unbearable level. He tugged at the cloak in a dissatisfied manner, wishing he could take it off but knowing that his dirty hospital scrubs would draw too much attention to him. Added to the heat Deidara couldn't seem to forget the alarmed face of the small, blonde haired boy with his messed up hair and wide eyes.

_The heat must really be getting to me,_ he decided with a grimace.

* * *

Something wasn't right. She'd had the feeling for the whole trip but the nearer she got to Konohagakure the more sure she became. Even Kankouro who had tried to laugh off her discomfort at first was sober now. When they reached a clearing Temari suddenly stopped, her eyes wide as she stared up at the sky above the trees. Without the cover of the forest foliage it was all too hard to miss the orange glow lighting the sky and the grey wisps of smoke tainting the once-white clouds.

The ANBU had continued on without her but Kankouro had noticed her absence and so returned, opening his mouth to try and reassure her again but stopping as he followed her eyes to the sky. Not even he could try to argue against the proof he found there. Konohagakure was burning. Konoha was under attack.

At a silent tug of her sleeve Temari turned to face her brother. He was frowning, but she understood what he was trying to tell her; it was no use just standing here. Nodding, she forced her feet to move and soon enough they were both sprinting after the ANBU unit, intent on reaching Konohagakure in as little time as physically possible.

* * *

The hospital hadn't been too hard to find since it had been, as Deidara had suspected, nearby the Hokage's building. Medics were hurrying there with injured citizens as well and following them had been easy due to their attention being focused on their patients.

Hiding around the corner of the hospital walls Deidara checked no-one was watching before shrugging off his cloak; the heat lessened but only marginally. His scrubs were still dirty, not having had time to wash them before descending from the cliff, but he hoped that in all the confusion that detail would go unnoticed. Rounding the corner he started for the hospital gate, making sure to adopt a limp and to hold his chest where Sasori's blood had stained the cloth.

As he reached the gate he saw than an ANBU member was standing guard and, looking closer, he realised that there was a barrier covering the hole hospital; no doubt there were four more ANBU, each posted at a corner of the hospital and keeping the shield up. Did they think the Akatsuki were targeting the hospital?

'What are you doing outside the barrier?' The ANBU demanded in surprise but it was clear that he was distracted and so Deidara purposefully fumbled with his words, feigning heat confusion. He was waved through, the barrier momentarily vanishing as he did so, and looking behind him he saw another medic running towards the gate with a young man slung over her shoulder. He tried to move around the side of the hospital, hoping to climb in a window and so go unnoticed but he was spotted by the medic and ushered inside.

It was soon clear, once he had entered, that climbing in through the window had been out of the question anyway; despite the number of medics running through the city there was still far too many inside the building for his entrance to have gone unnoticed. He was pushed towards a middle aged woman who was hovering behind the receptionist's desk, the role obsolete due to the sheer number of patients and lack of time to fill in details.

'Heat exhaustion. Needs water,' the woman who had herded him in called as she disappeared into one of the corridors, shifting the unconscious man she was carrying as if he was too heavy for her.

'Here, sit down and I'll go fetch some water,' the woman who Deidara assumed was the receptionist ordered as she passed him. Obediently he sat down; it was a little cooler in the hospital due to the ANBU's barrier and the whitewashed walls.

_Water would be nice_, Deidara decided as he waited for his carer to come back. Most of the people still outside would be suffering from heat exhaustion now and he wasn't surprised to find that whilst he wasn't as bad as he'd feigned he certainly wasn't in great shape. The medics couldn't afford to waste their healing chakra on something so minor though and Deidara didn't know how to heal himself. Perhaps he could get Ino to heal him once he'd found her and gotten her out of the village.

Watching the hustle and bustle of women healers and injured citizens though a frightening thought suddenly came to him. How was he supposed to find Ino?

_With so many patients, every room in the hospital must be full by now; most, I imagine, will have more than one patient in. I can't poke my head into each room to see if Ino's in there, hm; I'd soon be caught and though I could feign extreme confusion because of the heat I'd only be taken somewhere else to sit and be watched. No, I can't keep escaping like that, hm; it would take too long and might not even work._

With a sinking feeling Deidara realised that he hadn't thought his plan out terribly well. He accepted the glass of water thrust in his direction with dulled enthusiasm.

_So…how am I supposed to find Ino? _

* * *

Finito!

Sooo, what did'ya think? =)

As I said, I'm beginning to start the battles now and the next few chapters will be based around several fights and their conclusions. Then there should only be another chapter or two/an epilogue to finish it. So not too long to go now! Realistically, since chapters are coming out about monthly and I'm going to be busier than usual, I'd say there's probably a good six months to go before it truly finishes though - so don't worry!! Haha.

Thankyou to all who reviewed last chapter;

**bloodclancat** - :D Thankyou! I know the story has kinda changed from what it was at the beginning...I've focused a lot more on plot than fluff which lost me some fans I think - but it makes it more realistic, ya know? And yep I know this fic is probably in the higher part of the T rating...but I don't think it quite deserves an M rating, haha. I agree every DeiIno fan should read it too. Please point them in this direction! :) Thanks for the review!

**Ethereal Forest** - Thankyou - I thought I'd better bring everything together for the ending afterall! :) And, ahahaha (nervous laughter), I'd quite forgotten about Naruto; thanks for reminding me!!! I'll have to write a section from his pov in the next chapter!!! I hope the Ino plotline is still interesting after this chapter! Thanks for the review! :D

...

Anyway, **please review** and tell me what you thought of this chapter; what characters would you like to see more of? Who do you desperately want to have a happy ending? Are there any you want me to kill off? (sorry, there will be some deaths due to the fights in these last chapters)

Love you all!

~WfCP xxx

* * *


	31. Traitor

Hello all!

Oh God, I don't even know how long it's been since I last updated and I'm sorry. I said in the last chapter that my life would be getting a bit more hectic but I didn't believe it would affect my writing; unfortunately it has. Still, at least I've finished this chapter now and am uploading it; and at least I don't take as long as some people on here. I'm almost certain this one didn't take as long as two months...and that's good in fanficdom, right?

Oh well; I hope you enjoy this one. ;) x

* * *

With a sinking feeling Deidara realised that he hadn't thought his plan out terribly well. He accepted the glass of water thrust in his direction with dulled enthusiasm.

_So...how am I supposed to find Ino?_

* * *

Another one down. Facing the last ANBU from the backup that had come Itachi's frown didn't waver; he was sure that more would be following soon. ANBU were skilled to a level which was troublesome, especially when grouped together as they were trained well, but Itachi was confident that they didn't pose a real threat to him; and now, with a one on one battle, he let himself relax slightly, giving himself time to think.

_Sasori still hasn't come though goodness knows he's had enough time to - even allowing that he spent a while fighting Deidara (which I'd expect from him anyway)._ Dodging a strike and slashing back with enough force to heavily wound the ANBU's shoulder Itachi's frown darkened. _Perhaps he isn't coming. Perhaps he's run off with Deidara. I certainly wouldn't put it past him. But if that's the case then it's just Kisame and me against the whole of Konoha; suicidal, really._

Lost in his thoughts Itachi didn't dodge in time and a long, thin slit appeared on his left forearm, pinpricks of blood beginning to seep up through the break in the skin. Annoyed at his lack of concentration he focused his attention on the fight and got close enough to elbow the woman in the chest with a chakra enforced elbow, causing her to stumble backwards and cough up blood. Watching the dark liquid drip from beneath her mask Itachi was gripped with a sudden urgency, the need to get away from there as quickly as possible. _It only makes sense to leave now anyway; we don't have a hope of completing our mission and risk more than simply failing if we linger any longer. If possible I should get Kisame out safely too but my main priority right now is getting myself out. Hn._

The woman hadn't tried to attack him since he had wounded her abdomen but that was hardly surprising as he hadn't tried to attack her either; her mission was to delay him and initiating the fight would only make her die quicker, defeating the point of her mission. He considered her blandly for a minute, wondering whether it was worth finishing her off before making his getaway. Deciding that she would only hinder him and try to stop him if he should leave her alive he sighed lightly, gripped his kunai tighter and rushed at her with a sequence of flurried and intense attacks. Already in bad shape she was hardly in a position to protect herself and was soon reduced to kneeling on the floor, her kunai lifted above her head in a shaking hand as a last attempt at defence. Itachi grabbed her wrist with a grim expression, lips tightly pressed together, and quickly brought his kunai down hard with his right arm.

* * *

His head still throbbing, Deidara decided that it was no use him sitting doing nothing if he wanted to find Ino. So thinking he rose from his chair and slipped behind the receptionist's desk whilst she was occupied with helping the medics with their patients in the heavy hustle of personages in the small area. In the vain hope that Ino's room number would have been recorded somewhere he began to leaf through the papers, searching desperately for her name; was she even safe here now they could connect her in some way to Akatsuki?

Despite the crowded room the man who entered next commanded immediate attention and respect. He was tall, dressed in a long black leather cloak, and a black hat covered the top of his head; yet it couldn't hide the scars that marred his face, making his appearance ominous and frightening. He strode up to Deidara and regarded him sharply for a moment, assessing him, before demanding Ino's room number. Shocked that this man was in need of exactly the same information as himself and scared on Ino's behalf Deidara froze, unable to speak. Before his hesitation could be questioned though the secretary was in between them, introducing herself and leading the imposing man away and into the main corridor of the bottom floor of the hospital; Deidara watched them go with a dry mouth; why did that man want to see Ino? He was sure that whatever it was couldn't be good.

_Wait; if he's going to Ino's room then all I need to do is to follow them! Hm._

As unappealing as this thought was Deidara knew it was the best chance he had of finding Ino and so slipped out from behind the desk and through the doors into the corridor after them; they were a good way ahead but the black dress and daunting presence of the tall man in front made it easy for Deidara to follow and he was inexplicitly glad that he went unnoticed by them. When they stopped at an upstairs room he held back, noting the number on the door, and ducked back into the staircase so he couldn't see them or be seen himself. Waiting a few minutes whilst trying to look like he was supposed to be there was hard but the nurses around him were too busy to take him much notice and when he nodded at them they left him alone.

Deeming two minutes enough Deidara slipped back into the upstairs corridor and made his way to the door he had seen them stop at. Wondering how to be inconspicuous about his spying he carefully leant his back against the door and held a hand to his head as if he was just resting for a moment as he turned his head slightly so his ear was near enough to tune in to the conversation taking place in the room. At first he heard very little as it was hard to tune out the noises of the corridor - but soon enough he heard the harsh tones of the man he had followed; he was demanding something again.

'I think you know as well as I do what happens if you refuse to speak to me Ino. It's a shame that someone as young and promising as yourself has fallen so far; but if you speak up now, when we most need you to, I daresay your sentence will be greatly reduced. What do you say?' In the pause that followed Deidara could hear his heart hammering in his chest at an unnaturally fast pace, pumping blood around his body so quickly it made him dizzy. He realised now that this man was a torturer; it all fitted neatly into place; the scars, the aura, his motive for coming…everything. 'No?' The torturer continued and his voice was resigned; 'Very well then. You are now a traitor to your village, Yamanaka Ino. All your rights as a Konoha ninja cease from this day forward. In due course you will be arrested and detained in a suitable cell where you will wait until your trial…'

He said more but Deidara didn't hear the rest, turning his head away from the door to stare in blank disbelief at nothing in particular in front of him. Ino had just forsaken her village; but why? All she had to do was talk, to tell them everything about Akatsuki (and let's face it, they hadn't treated her all that well thus far). Had she done it for him? Guilt stealing over him vanished surprisingly quickly as he remembered that she was in a room with a torturer just a metre or two behind him. His blood chilled.

* * *

A jerked stop of his hand. Momentarily confused. Then Itachi saw the cause and perpetrator of the intervention. Silently swearing it was instinct that made him throw a punch and twist his wrist from her grip, jumping backwards to land a couple of metres away form her. _I should have just left; why did I waste time trying to finish that stupid ANBU off?_ He thought with an inward groan as he ran his eyes over the new woman on the scene.

'You haven't changed much Tsunade.'

Ignoring his words but keeping her eyes trained on his feet Tsunade barked at the ANBU kneeling behind her to get back to the hospital and sort herself out. 'I'll deal with this one,' she finished in a steely tone that begged no opposition. The ANBU woman took off unsteadily.

'It's been a while,' Itachi continued pleasantly in the hope that at some point in their conversation he would wind her up enough for her to look him in the eye; it was a vain hope though.

'Why are you here?'

'Take a guess.'

'From the looks of it you're trying to destroy the whole of Konoha,' Tsunade bit out though there was a tinge of sarcasm in her tone which made Itachi purse his lips to stop himself from smiling.

'A little ambitious perhaps?' He wondered, dismissing her theory.

'Then Naruto.' This time there wasn't any doubt in her voice. Itachi smiled, knowing that his silence was enough of an affirmative for her. 'I should have listened to Shizune,' Tsunade whispered to herself, her face a frown.

Taking the opportunity Itachi shimmered and appeared in front of her, bringing his kunai up to slash her face. Unfortunately she dodged in time and clashed weapons with him a moment later. 'I'm not going to let you have him.' She muttered before launching an attack of her own.

To Itachi's annoyance he was beginning to tire of fighting, having been drained somewhat by the ANBU, and it was painfully obvious to him that if he didn't start picking up the slack then he'd be handing Tsunade the win on a platter. Her attacks were imbued with anger and hatred yet she was a skilled enough ninja to not let her emotions affect her defensive moves as well. Itachi's attacks, in contrast, were driven by no such potent a motivation and were inflicting noticeably less damage.

_She's healing every wound I cause her too; I can't continue like this for long. I need her to look me in the eye._

'Shouldn't you be tending to Ino? Last I saw she was pretty beat up.'

Tsunade's face darkened but her eyes remained on his feet, circling him. 'I already have.'

'Oh?' Blocking her attack, Itachi moved away and assumed a defensive position, realising that attacking would only sap his strength more and was relatively useless unless she gave him the chance to use genjutsu. 'So where is she now? You haven't left her alone, have you?' When Tsunade didn't reply he continued blithely; 'Just that, if you have, she probably won't be there when you get back.'

'I don't know what you mean,' Tsunade bit out, appearing behind him and wounding his left shoulder. Cursing, Itachi jumped out of the way of further damage and checked his wound to find that it wasn't very deep.

'She'll have gone to find her sweetheart Akatsuki so they can elope together. Oh, you know - Deidara, our little bomb artist. Blonde hair, pretty smile and all that. A real catch; kind of looks like Ino actually.' Seeing that Tsunade had stopped still listening but was still refusing to look at his eyes Itachi clenched his right hand into a fist and added nonchalantly; 'He's the partner of Sasori; the one who killed Sakura.'

It was hard to conceal his triumph and relief when Tsunade's eyes finally rose high enough for his ominous dark red, spinning orbs to catch. The realisation of her mistake and the fear that washed into her eyes before they clouded over was also surprisingly satisfying. Itachi smiled.

* * *

'Why should I stay here anyway? Why do they have to fight on my behalf? I'm strong enough to fight for myself. I don't want them getting hurt for me! They're treating me like I'm nothing but trouble when I only want to help and protect them. I want to protect Sakura. I want to protect everyone!'

The whispers emanating from the darkness gradually grew in volume until he was practically shouting the last sentence. Then, with his hands clenched, Naruto eyed the outline of the thick metal door with slated eyes. No matter how he looked at it this was a prison he was kept in; he thought it might be easier for them to just kill him but realised that if they did that the Kyuubi would run loose until it was locked into someone else.

_So it's just more convenient for them to keep me alive but locked away in a high-class prison with my only crime being out of my control. How unfair! Yet they call it protecting me; well I don't want to be protected. Sakura hasn't come to see me for a while. I'm worried. What if something's happened to her? I have to go and find her. I have to go and fight my own battles. I have to go and show everyone that I'm not useless and that I shouldn't be caged like a wild animal. I've got to protect them._

So thinking, Naruto rose from the floor and made his way to the door. Pounding on the heavy metal he was glad to find the door opened fairly quickly. He quickly shoved his foot in the gap, grabbing the door so that the ANBU member couldn't shut it. It wasn't an ANBU he recognised.

'Hey - what are you doing? What do you want?' The man demanded angrily, signalling with his hand for help. Naruto had meant at first to plead with his guard to let him out but he couldn't afford more ANBU coming to help this novice so he dragged him into his cell instead so no-one could see them. Hesitating, Naruto finally muttered he was sorry before knocking the guy out and taking his mask and jacket.

Leaving his cell and closing the door behind him Naruto made sure there was no-one staring in his direction before leaving the door and following the flow of ANBU to the exit from the base. He saw some coming back into the base and a couple seemed to hold wounds but there was a lot of raised voices and he felt relatively small in the bustle of masked people around him. He hoped they weren't checking the ANBU as they left the base and was relieved to find that his wish was granted; apparently they only saw it necessary to check those coming _in_ to the base.

Fresh air was a novelty he hadn't enjoyed for a long time and, even though it was tainted somewhat by smoke from the many fires surrounding the base, Naruto still relished in the simple gesture of taking a long, deep breath. It suddenly struck him, with no little force, that he was finally free.

* * *

Finito! :)

So it wasn't the longest chapter ever but it covered valuable plot ground in the story and we can see that next chapter Dei and Ino should be back in each other's company in some form or other. Also, I've put in some Naruto plot which was being asked for.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter;

**Ethereal Forest** - I'm glad you enjoyed it! :) Unfortunatly there was no DeiIno reunion in this chapter but it's getting close. Should be next chapter if not the one after that. & yes, don't worry - I will definitely keep Deidara and Ino alive for the ending. I think I may well grant your other wish as well! Oh, aren't you lucky? ;) Thanks for the review! x

**Leiaah** - Ahaha; yes it was hard for me to cut his hair off - but I guess it shows his dedication to Ino. & I'm pleased I've made it tense on the Ino situation - next chapter should resolve it though ;) Thanks for your review! x

**.Disaster** - Gooood - glad you like it so far! Thanks for the review! x

**Wooden Skies** - Haha; yeah, they're not bad together are they? :) & I have noted down your request. It may be a little different but don't worry - at some point there will be a touching scene between Tem and Shika, even if not quite the same circumstances you mentioned. ;) Thanks for the review! x

**H0pele55 R0mantic** - Wow, it's a real compliment for someone who is so set on another Ino couple (or Deidara couple) to enjoy a DeiIno so much! Thanks for subscribing and I hope it wasn't too long of a wait. ;) Thanks for the review! x

**lauravillegas97** - I love that you love it! :D & don't worry, there will be more! Thanks for the review! x

**Sasukeloverforever **- Ehe, dedication - I like it! :) Oh, and sowee about the hair. :( But I'm sure it's just as silken and golden short! & Okay - I've noted down your keepsafes (Kakashi, Naruto and Shika). I wasn't really thinking about killing them off anyway so don't worry. ;) Thanks for the review! x

So what did you all think of it? Was this chapter any good? Any thoughts on it? Please reviewww!

~WfCP xxx


	32. A Good Lie

Hello all!

Sorry about the wait again! As I mentioned previously I've got a lot more work this year (school and job-wise) and am currently in the process of building a bed! Ehe. ^_^;  
Over the Christmas period I'll be glued to my job because it's a small store and needs me there as much as possible so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to write. If possible I'll try to get a chapter out by Christmas but I reckon it'll be more likely to be out a week or so after Christmas (though I've got an exam then...). :/ Don't kill me!

Anyway, DeiIno reunion this chapter!!! Hope you enjoy. ;) x

* * *

Fresh air was a novelty he hadn't enjoyed for a long time and, even though it was tainted somewhat by smoke from the many fires surrounding the base, Naruto still relished in the simple gesture of taking a long, deep breath. It suddenly struck him, with no little force, that he was finally free.

* * *

The hospital was louder and busier than Ino had ever heard it before and this ensuing panic outside her door only made her own anxiety grow as she tried to think of some way to get out of having to talk to Ibiki. Chikari also seemed to be worried but her eyes were often directed at the window and the raging fire and smoke which signalled the Aktsuki's attack. It was weird, Ino thought later, that she had recognised the torturer's footsteps when so many were hitting the linoleum floor outside her room - but perhaps it was his purposeful, heavy gait which reminded her of him and the fact that he was not hurriedly scurrying here and there which made her certain. Two sets of feet stopped outside her door but the secretary, who opened the door and ushered the younger medic out, hardly registered with Ino who was staring fixedly at Ibiki.

_He looks so much fiercer now I know that he's come for me_, she remembered thinking before forcing herself to avert her eyes, gazing down at the bedcovers and trying to calm her racing nerves. The door closed with a heavy click and the silence was surprisingly loud, especially considering she had thought how loud the background noise had been before. Ibiki paced to the window and spent a couple of moments staring out, dragging the silence out and causing Ino's mouth to turn dry. When he coughed her head snapped up.

'It's been a while Ino. I guess you know why I'm here.' Ino refused to answer, returning her eyes to the bed sheets. 'The Akatsuki are dangerous criminals with no regard for anyone but themselves.' Here Ino almost disagreed, wanting to point out that Deidara must have some regard for her after all they'd been through - but realised he probably wanted her to blurt out information like that. 'Oh? Have I riled you?'

_The way he speaks reminds me of Sasori; not his voice but his tone, the way he phrases things…it's that same crafty, self-amusing dialogue that I've come to hate so much over the last week._

'Were you going to say that they have regard for _you_?' Ino must have given away that she was surprised he'd guessed it because he continued on after a short, satisfied silence; 'That rather furthers my point though, doesn't it?…That they only have regard for themselves.'

At this Ino couldn't help starting, raising indignant eyes to stare at the black-clad man in surprise. Leave her village and fall in love with the enemy she may have done, but she had certainly not become an Akatsuki. No matter how much she loved Deidara the Akatsuki was still a symbol of discord and destruction to her and she was disgusted that someone could suggest so assumingly that she had given up her freedom for such a disgrace. Ibiki returned her gaze thoughtfully.

'No, I'm wrong,' he deduced after some minutes had passed. 'Your denial is too strong; stronger even than many of the trusted shinobi in this village. The look of one who has faced the danger and kept their fear. Interesting. So why did they help you?'

_Shouldn't he be asking why _I_ helped _them_?_ Ino wondered wordlessly, and then frowned; how had they helped her anyway? Surely, considering the position she was in, they had caused her more harm than help! Unsure how to reply, she resolved to stay silent.

'One of them - Deidara of Iwagakure - saved your life. He caught you when you fell from the cliff and made sure you got here to get the healing you needed. Why did he help you if you aren't his comrade?'

_Because he loves me,_ Ino replied automatically but hoped it didn't show on her face. None of the other members would have done that for her; indeed, it was because of Sasori (and Itachi, she supposed) that she'd needed saving in the first place.

'Ino, answer me.'

It wasn't even that big of a question as far as she was aware - her answer would be that she had helped them into the village and they had a policy of give what you get (though this was not strictly true) - but she didn't want to begin answering his questions for fear that she would be tricked into saying something more important; something that would harm Deidara. She could never forgive herself if she led to Deidara getting caught or killed.

'I think you know as well as I do what happens if you refuse to speak to me Ino. It's a shame that someone as young and promising as yourself has fallen so far; but if you speak up now, when we most need you to, I daresay your sentence will be greatly reduced. What do you say?'

She couldn't speak. She knew how much rested on this, how much it meant to remain silent…and surely she could play for time if she spoke up and answered one grudging question after another as slowly as possible…but why did she want to waste time? What was there she was waiting for? Deidara? No - he'd been tricked by Sasori just as much as she had and he probably had his own mess to get out of. So there really was no point in replying.

'No?' The torturer continued and his voice was resigned; 'Very well then. You are now a traitor to your village, Yamanaka Ino. All your rights as a Konoha ninja cease from this day forward. In due course you will be arrested and detained in a suitable cell where you will wait until your trial…'

Swallowing hard, Ino stared at him with unseeing eyes as she listened to what he was saying. It was a speech especially potent to Konohagakure shinobi who had had loyalty for their village and love for their comrades programmed into them at such a young age. To be branded a traitor seemed so harsh for her when she had been coerced into betraying her village. She had willingly left with Deidara but that hadn't caused the village any harm; she had opposed every suggestion that was obviously going to damage Konohagakure.

As she was listening to Ibiki's low, formal voice a click to her left registered in her mind but she ignored it. The next click was much more obvious though because there was no longer a solemn speech to block it out; Ibiki had stopped talking and, when Ino focused her eyes once more, she saw that he was looking over at the door. Turning her head listlessly Ino's eyes dramatically widened when she saw who was standing there. At first she couldn't believe it was him and a moment later she realised why; his hair was short! Chocking back her joy at seeing him Ino found fear begin to take control; had he thought through what he was doing? Ibiki was not just a torturer but a very skilled shinobi - Deidara looked like he was distinctly worse for wear at the moment and Ino didn't want to hedge bets on who would win.

Deidara, as she watched him edge over towards her bedside table, flashed a quick grin but there was concern concealed beneath it and his eyes never really left Ibiki's imposing form. Sensing a fight coming up, Ino silently cursed her bad luck; every time she was with Deidara they were targeted; by Akatsuki because of her, Konohagakure because of him...their love was harmless really (neither of them wanted to hurt anyone) so why couldn't they just be left alone?

'Akatsuki no Deidara,' Ibiki deadpanned, drawing a kunai from somewhere in his cloak. Ino was surprised to hear Deidara described as part of the Akastsuki still when she knew that he was pretty much a traitor to the group. 'Don't you think it's a little rash to oppose me unarmed?'

Now he said it and Ino looked she saw he was right; Deidara was dressed in dirty, blood-stained hospital scrubs with no semblance of weapon anywhere near him.

_Oh you fool_, she groaned inwardly; why had he come unarmed? Surely he could have found something somewhere but he had just burst into the room without a second thought. _I don't want to find you again just to lose you; I don't think I could bear that. I've just forsaken my village for you - now for goodness sake don't do anything rash!_

'Ino; escape through the window. If you keep your head down you should be able to get out of the village, hm.'

'No,' she replied immediately, shocked that he could even suggest such a thing. 'I'm not leaving you.'

'I'll join you soon,' Deidara added, sparing her a glance. Still though Ino shook her head and a moment later Deidara was forced to dodge Ibiki's attack, stopping him from trying to convince Ino to leave.

_Silly Deidara, silly,_ Ino found herself berating him in her head as she watched him fight, fully aware that she was only chastising him to hide her worry. He'd picked up her bedside table and was trying to use it as a kind of shield, hoping Ibiki would embed the kunai deep enough into the wood for Deidara to pull back and claim the weapon as his own. The torturer was not a novice at fighting though and Ino had good right to be concerned as he managed to draw blood from Deidara's side.

Whilst Deidara staggered back though Ino saw a sudden opening and moving her hands quickly she soon found herself leaving her body. Ibiki was not an easy mind to capture but Ino knew she didn't need to even go that far. Deidara had recovered himself enough to launch another attack of his own and all she needed to do was to hold out a couple of seconds, less even, disconcerting the tall Konohagakure shinobi so that he couldn't properly block. It worked, and Ino was surprised at how well she'd timed it. She left before the wood made contact with the torturer's hat and blearily opened her eyes in time to see him collapse on the floor.

Momentarily disorientated from having to switch between bodies so quickly Ino herself collapsed lightly on the bed and closed her eyes, monitoring her breathing in the hope that it would stop her from feeling sick. Almost instantaneously though there was someone crouching beside her bed and Ino didn't need to look to know that it was Deidara; she knew the sound of his breathing and the way he moved all too well by now.

'Ino? Are you OK? What's wrong? What did he do to you?'

The questions sounded like they could be endless and so Ino muttered something incomprehensible to stop him. He leaned in closer because he couldn't hear.

'I'm fine,' Ino forced, raising her eyes to meet his, shocked as _two_ light blue orbs stared back at her. Leaning all her weight on her left arm she reached out with her right to gingerly touch the left side of his face where she was so used to seeing metal; the skin there, subsequently, was lighter than the rest of his face and looked rather comical to Ino, who was well in need of a laugh anyway.

'Oi - don't laugh, hm!' Deidara snapped when he saw her lips quivering with barely suppressed mirth but he wasn't entirely serious and Ino allowed herself a short chuckle. Now Deidara looked bashful though and when he spoke he avoided her eyes; 'I only did it so I could find you, you know. You should be grateful.'

'Your hair too?' Ino's voice was soft now as she fingered the short blonde locks. The blush that tainted his cheeks was enough of an answer for her. 'I am grateful actually.' Wrapping her right arm around his neck she pulled him closer so that their noses were touching. 'Thank y-'

Her whisper was cut off as their lips met and Ino closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth from Deidara that she'd missed for so long. She'd thought she'd never see him again but now he was here and he was real and they were together again and God did it feel good! Strong arms embraced her as the kiss deepened but there was no fight for dominance this time; they were both just content to be there, together again, as equals. Minutes later Ino drew back and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in the smoky scent of his skin. Deidara nuzzled his face in her hair.

'I love you Ino, hm.'

'I love you too Dei-kun.'

* * *

Kakashi was injured. Badly. His right eye, his only remaining natural eye, had been completely ruined in one fell swoop of Kisame's Samehada and he had retreated from the battle as the rest had moved to defend him. With the group devoid of medics Sai had been chosen to tend to Kakashi's wound whilst the rest held off Kisame who was annoyed at the unfairness of not being able to fight one on one properly with his adversary.

Gai's team had fought against a clone of the shark-ninja before though it had been only a percentage figure of Kisame's true power. This did make them aware of his water techniques though (especially his water prisons) and Sai couldn't help noting how they warily dodged what appeared to him to be normal water jutsu.

Kakashi's eye was bleeding badly and Sai had to concentrate on bandaging it for a few minutes, not watching the battle; he could feel the copy-ninja's frustration at his wound and how restless he was now he was no longer fighting. Sai wondered whether Kakashi truly understood the implications of the cut but had picked up enough social skills by now to know not to broach the subject until later. It was only when he felt Kakashi tense that Sai's attention returned to the battle and then he was almost swept off his feet by a huge wave, barely managing to gasp a breath before they were fully enveloped.

Peering through the water to where Gai and his team were still facing the Akatsuki member Sai deliberated a moment before pulling a scroll from his back. He knew he had to get Kakashi out, as it was his job to look after the injured nin, but unravelling the scroll made the ink of the bird he had intended on summoning run and dissipate into the vast water surrounding them. Internally swearing he resolved to carry Kakashi instead, attempting to sling him over his shoulder; when the white-haired ninja protested at this though, obstinately wanting to continue watching the battle, Sai hit the pressure point on his neck and forcefully lifted him. They reached the surface after a couple more minutes and it was all Sai could do to keep hold of Kakashi as he drew in deep breaths. Swimming to the edge of the expanse, once he had caught his breath, was no mean feat and they were soon back on firm ground, a circular wall of water rising high in front of them.

_It's somehow ominous,_ Sai mused as he regarded the towering liquid mass; _I wonder what's going on inside that thing. I wonder how the others can breath. I wish I could help; but my ink attack is useless in water and, besides, I need to look after Kakashi._

That thought though, the copy ninja was still unconscious beside him though his breathing was regular if shallow. Sai contemplated his companion wordlessly for a while. _He only has the sharingan to depend on for sight now…but there must be a reason why he always keeps it hidden and only uses it during battles. It's not for the surprise because he is famous for it and instantly recognisable…so what then? I can only assume that the rumours I heard about Uchiha Itachi - that his eyesight was deteriorating due to prolonged use of his sharingan - are true. So Kakashi cannot solely rely on his gifted eye because he would soon go blind. How is he going to cope like this? What is he going to do?_

* * *

Fires burning, the crackle of flames, the cries of innocents, the eyes of rage. Naruto stood, anger and hate sweeping over him, as he regarded the town in front of him; it had imprisoned him for so long yet he still felt such patriotism towards it. He wanted to find the people who had done this, to fight them, to kill them. Being safe-guarded had done nothing for his temper if not increased it and as he set off, jaws clenched, towards the nearby buildings where the inferno blazed the strongest he was almost consumed himself with hatred.

Fallen houses, streets full of ash, dead ANBU and…Tsunade? Shocked to a stop at the sight of the 'young' Hokage collapsed on the roof of one of the houses, flames inching ever closer, Naruto's anger numbed and he was by her side in an instant. No attacker was nearby, no living thing except himself. Knowing that pursuing an invisible foe would be senseless Naruto returned his attention to the woman who had both stood up for him when he was younger and given the order for his imprisonment. She was alive; the pulse was faint but she was definitely alive. Biting his lip Naruto lifted her as carefully as he could and looked regretfully back at the base he had just come from. He was wearing a mask but he couldn't risk going back there, could he? Not now he'd gotten free - not now he had a chance to confront the enemy, to win his own battles. The innate form in his arms though convinced him. A moment later and his legs were once more running back towards the ANBU base, back towards the hospital.

* * *

It must have been a while since Ino had had a chance to wash but the same was true for Deidara and he decided that he didn't mind; he loved her anyway…perhaps even more for that fact as it showed the dangers they had endured together.

_Or not together in some cases. I left her with a Konohagakure shinobi - what was I thinking, hm? I could have lost her forever!_

After a few more moments of silence Deidara withdrew from Ino's hold and, staring her straight in the eye, muttered, 'I'll never leave you alone again, hm.' It sounded cliché once he'd said it but he really did mean it and he saw that Ino understood the sincerity embedded in the words. She nodded solemnly back. 'But we have to go now; we're still in danger here.'

Ino glanced at the unconscious Ibiki lying on the floor and frowned in agreement; 'He'll wake up soon.'

'Come on then.' Deidara helped her off the bed but, seeing her grimace at the pain this inflicted due to her wounds, he immediately lifted her into his arms, staring at her in worried concern. 'Ino? Ino, are you OK?' She laughed back at him, waving a hand dismissively.

'Fine. I'm fine.'

They left through the window, Deidara using chakra to cushion the blow of the fall, still unconvinced on Ino's state of health. The gate guard was more tricky and the bomb-artist considered using a surprise attack to knock him out but Ino shook her head at him, forming hand signatures as she did so. The ANBU member jerked at the sudden takeover but was soon ushering Deidara through with unnatural enthusiasm. _She's really not very good at acting is she? Hm._

Five meters out of the enclosure and Ino stirred in his arms; he began to run then, taking the roof path as falling timber were liable to hit them should they travel lower down. The heat was immense, worsening both of their conditions and causing Deidara to stumble as he ran. They were out of sight by the time the ANBU member had rid himself of his disorientation. Things were going well.

Crowds of people began to appear as they neared the walls, all hustling and bustling each other to exit the city first. Deidara felt sick, remembering the time he had walked through the crowds to reach Ino. He wondered whether that blonde-haired boy who had seen him was alright. How many people had already evacuated the city? It looked like there was a lot still to go. How much devastation had the Akatsuki caused? How many lives had they taken? How oblivious they all were to anyone but themselves! How low their morals! Deidara felt true shame as he thought this, knowing that he was once one and the same with those creatures. So caught up in his thoughts was he that he didn't notice that there were not just civilians about. Ino tensed up and, following her eyes, he drew to a stop, fear overtaking him. ANBU - a whole group of them - were heading towards them, coming from the direction of the walls. Did they still have ANBU guarding the walls?

_Kusou; what now? I'm in no condition to fight but I can't give up here! Maybe I should just run and see if I can make it? But with Ino I don't think I can and I can't just abandon her! Kusou; what should I do?_

Ino seemed just as indecisive as him, her eyes flitting over the area in front of them as if waiting for some secret passageway to open up for them. Just as Deidara was about to throw caution to the wind and run for the walls one of the advancing group broke off from the rest and sped ahead; Deidara cringed, giving up on his plan to flee. How unfair it was though, to be caught so near to their escape!

'Ino! Ino, is that you?' Abruptly a well-shaped woman was standing before them, her sand-coloured hair tied back into four pony-tails at the back of her head. A large fan was on her back and something registered in Deidara's mind…had he seen her before somewhere? Ino shifted in his hold.

'Temari? What're you doing here?'

'I'm here to help of course, you numpty! Why are you running away?' Her voice was breathy as if she had been running too hard to get here, her eyes flicking over Deidara's shoulder to the destruction there.

'Injured. Tsunade told me to get out of the village and make camp in the woods; the hospital is getting too dangerous for patients and the Akatsuki are all around. People will be coming to me for heali-'

'Right, good, OK.' Temari cut across her, her eyes now permanently fixed on the flames reflected in her eyes. 'Where's Shikamaru?'

The ANBU group she had come with had caught up now and Deidara's mouth went dry; so far he had remained silent and undetected but with a whole group of ANBU facing him? He wanted to hide his head but knew it would look unnatural so refrained, keeping a neutral expression planted on his face.

'I-I don't know,' Ino replied truthfully, the stutter to show she was hurt at having been cut off before. Temari bit her lip, eyes worried and unseeing for a moment, but then another ninja emerged from the group of ANBU; he too was not wearing a mask (though he was wearing a headdress that covered all but his painted face). Deidara thought he vaguely recognised him as well.

'Temari; we need to keep moving. Every second we waste here Konohagakure burns. The best chance of finding Shikamaru is to go in there and fight. Then perhaps we'll all come out alive.'

Temari listened to this man and reluctantly agreed, knowing that staying with Ino any longer wasn't going to help her search anyway as the ex-Konohagakure kunoichi had admitted she didn't know Shikamaru's location.

'Right, let's go then.' It was an order, even if it was delivered in such a deadpan way, and the ANBU squad immediately set off. The other two lingered for a moment; Temari as if she thought she should say something to Ino in parting but not knowing what and the male to quickly assess Deidara. The missing nin returned the stare evenly but inside he was silently panicking; he had managed to avoid detection thus far with a group of ANBU standing just to his left so surely he couldn't be found out now?

'Good luck with the medic camp,' Temari finally managed before quickly turning towards the male causing Deidara so much grief and signing to him with her hand. 'Come on Kankouro; you said we need to leave.'

Giving Deidara one more interrogative stare, Kankouro left nonetheless, leaving the blonde ex-Iwagakure nin standing stiffly behind him, mouth dry.

'Dei?' Ino wondered softly when the sand nins were out of hearing. 'It's OK - they didn't recognise you. We're fine so let's go.'

Her voice shook him out of his tense reverie and he felt relief flood him as he looked into her bright eyes. _That was close, hm._

'I didn't realise you were such a good liar,' he joked as he set off towards the nearest city wall once more. Ino grinned;

'Nor did I.'

* * *

Finished! :D

Perhaps a little rushed at some points but otherwise I quite liked this chapter. At last Deidara and Ino are back together whoop whoop! :D  
Next chapter will probably have to be mainly fight based but there'll be at least one section on Deidara and Ino out there. Hope you liked it and Please review!!

Thanks to all those who revied last time;

**Sasukeloverforever** - Ahahaha yeah I've done that before ^^; Hope fully this one wasn't too late though! Mmm yeah, being interrogated by Ibiki wouldn't be pleasant but luckily Deidara interrupted before he could actually torture her. :) Thanks for the review.

**Ethereal Forest** - Thanks; this chapter had more DeiIno in it so should be to your liking (I hope!). && glad you liked the title; I had some inspiration in choosing it haha! ;D Thanksies for the review!

**lauravillegas97** - xD glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

**Fantasy Kairy **- =D I'm actually touched by your enthusiasm! & Of course I will continue writing; it's so long now I couldn't possibly abandon it! Also, I have to say that I love your smilies! *-* heehee; I haven't seen them before! Thanks for the review and please review again! *¬*

So what did everyone think? I like constructive criticism so feel free to point out any errors or areas you think I could improve on! Did you like it? Was it rubbish? I'd love to hear your thoughts so _please_ _**review**_!  
:)

Love,  
~WfCP xxx


	33. A Pleasant Goodbye

Hi all!

Again, sorry for the wait but it's only a couple of weeks later than I thought it'd be so not too bad! Unfortunately I had an exam which actually didn't go that well even after I'd revised for it but hopefully everything will work out fine!

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

'I didn't realise you were such a good liar,' Deidara joked as he set off towards the nearest city wall once more. Ino grinned;

'Nor did I.'

* * *

Kisame was renowned for his affinity for the water element but Lee hadn't been expecting a technique of such magnitude from the Akatsuki member. This one had swallowed him and his comrades completely and took the form of an ocean, stretching far in all directions. Kisame had undergone a transformation; he now looked more like a shark than ever and moved fluidly through the water as if it was natural territory. Lee wasn't sure how they were supposed to counter this sudden change in the power-struggle of the fight; Taijutsu, even his, would be much slower in water and Neji would have to get Kisame into close combat before using his special techniques. Tenten was the only one who could use long-range attacks, but it looked like she was having difficulty transferring the blood from her finger to the scroll due to the natural dissipation of liquids into water.

Neji, nearest to Lee, hurriedly approached and created an air bubble around his mouth so he could breathe. Surprised because he hadn't even considered his need to breathe (he had taken a deep breath before the water had engulfed him) Lee gave a thumbs up to show his appreciation. Neji was looking past him though in fear and, turning, Lee saw that Kisame had chosen a target and was now pursuing Tenten. She couldn't move as fast as the Akatsuki in the water and, with her summoning scrolls rendered useless, was trying to fend him off with the contents of her weapon's pouch. It looked hopeless though and Lee started towards the shark-nin without thinking, knowing that Tenten needed help. Gai restrained him however and began to pull him back, indicating that they had to get out of the water. Shocked that his mentor should suggest leaving Tenten behind Lee momentarily allowed himself to be dragged backwards but, still facing the battle-scene, couldn't miss the form of Neji speeding towards Tenten's rescue. At first the long-haired shinobi threw a few kunai at Kisame but when they were avoided and didn't serve their purpose to distract his attention he swam closer and engaged in close combat, pushing Tenten towards the edge of the water. She hesitated though and Kisame lunged. Lee was frozen as he watched and time seemed to slow as his mind knew that something dreadful was about to happen. Then it was suddenly over and Tenten, wide eyed, was staring into the obsidian depths of Kisame's slitted orbs, Neji's hair, wafting in the water, partly obscuring her view. For the Byakugan user had stepped in between them at the last minute and taken her place. Lee wasn't sure what to think but, although Gai had seen the sacrifice and momentarily stopped he now continued towards the edge of the water with an even greater urgency than before. Lee found that he couldn't move although he knew he was hindering their progress by allowing himself to be dragged by Gai; instead his eyes roved over the scene in front of him as Tenten, oblivious to the shark nin only a metre away, wrapped her arms around Neji from behind and cried into his shoulder.

_Get away!_ Lee wanted to shout at her, an acute fear for her life creeping into his bosom; _He'll kill you - get away from him!_

Lee was wrong though because Kisame's interest in Tenten was short lived; instead, as if having only just noticed their escape, he turned beady eyes on Lee and his guardian. The mask of air surrounding his face had disappeared now because Neji was unable to keep it there, but Lee reckoned his breath would have caught in his throat as Kisame approached anyway. Suddenly shocked into action, adrenaline pumping through him, Lee turned in the water so he was facing the edge of the vast expanse and began to swim as fast as he could, allowing Gai to speed up as well now he was no longer having to carry Lee's weight. Tenten was forgotten; it was _his_ life Lee was worried about now.

_Would that I had run when I first set eyes on the monster!_

* * *

_We're free_, Ino thought joyfully as they sped through the woods outside of Konohagakure, Deidara holding her tightly in his arms. She'd thought the guards would be a problem but their numbers had been reduced, presumably to deal with the Akatsuki problem within the village, and it hadn't been hard to use her mind-subduing technique to allow them to pass over the walls. Now they were just trying to get as far away as possible; Ino didn't care where they went and she didn't think Deidara did either. Both just wanted to escape from the places that had disowned them and find somewhere quiet to settle down where no-one would bother them. Glancing up at Deidara she saw that he had a faraway look in his eyes and wondered what he was thinking about. Not for the first time Ino wished that she could converse telepathically with him; for she would have to speak loudly to talk to him over the sound of the wind whistling past them and she didn't want to break the peace that had settled.

That thought Deidara suddenly blinked back into reality and a deep frown creased his brow. Glancing at Ino he saw her watching and quickly looked away, his eyes scanning the trees around them as he slowed until finally dropping down from the trees at a standstill; turning on the spot as if trying to locate something or someone. Scared that something bad was going to happen, just as she'd thought it was all over Ino closed her eyes and searched for a chakra but a disturbance in the air to her right made her eyes snap back open and when Deidara turned to face the new-comer her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

'Deidara. Ino.'

_Itachi!_

Deidara's hands were tense. 'Itachi.' He intoned in reply, trying to keep his tone level.

'I thought Sasori might let you go,' Itachi continued, his eyes sharp as he examined them both. Ino knew that it wouldn't escape his notice that they were worn out and wouldn't be able to defend themselves well…but then again he didn't look so good either.

'He didn't.' This time some fierceness escaped into the words. 'We fought to the death.'

Ino wasn't sure whether she was sad that Sasori was dead or not. He had caused a lot of trouble and definitely wasn't trustworthy but seemed to have genuinely cared for Deidara and thought he was doing the best for him. The news surprised Itachi though, who raised an eyebrow at the statement. It lowered a few seconds later and was replaced by a thoughtful frown.

'Did he now? How unlike him.'

'You have no idea what he was like, hm.' The anger was clear this time and Ino stared at her lover in alarm; provoking Itachi was the last thing they wanted to do right now.

'No,' Itachi agreed and Ino was relieved that he didn't seem perturbed by Deidara's hostility; 'Perhaps I don't. He was a complicated man who had lived too long and seen too much; to have his character ascertained in the short meetings I had with him is a far-fetched claim. I don't know why I made it.'

'Why are you here?' Ino finally asked, deciding they had skirted around the subject long enough. Itachi met her eyes calmly and she afforded herself some hope that she could see no trace of hatred there; perhaps they would be spared a fight - but in that case why had he stopped them?

'I am waiting for Kisame. Unfortunately we have failed our mission.'

'Where is he; still in the village?' Itachi nodded an ascent and Ino frowned; 'Then why don't you go and get him?'

The Uchiha's lips threatened to upturn at the corners at her blunt words but he quickly schooled them into a neutral line again. 'I am not in the best of shape, as you can see. Kisame is fighting and I don't want to get involved.'

'Who were you fighting?' Ino pressed, curious despite herself and unable to hold her questions back. Itachi considered her a moment.

'Your former Hokage.'

_Former? How does he know I'm no longer a Konohgakure kunoichi?_

'I was forced to use my mangekyo on her,' Itachi expanded, having seen her confusion. 'If she's still alive she won't be waking up for a long time and Konoha will need a leader quickly to sort out the mess we've left the town in. I think I can safely say that Tsunade's reign has come to an end.'

For a moment her questions dried up as Ino considered the news. So Tsunade could be dead…or at the very least in a coma. A pang of regret filled her at that; she had deceived Tsunade, ran away from her, and caused her a lot of bother over the last week that her charismatic mentor certainly hadn't deserved.

'So what now?' Deidara asked heavily, taking advantage of Ino's temporary daze.

'Now?' Itachi echoed lightly, his eyes bright as he regarded the couple. 'Why ask me? Haven't you already made plans?'

'Stop playing with us, hm. Why did you stop us? What is the Akatsuki going to do; does it want me dead? What about Ino?'

After a moment's pause Itachi sighed and fixed Deidara with a pointed stare. 'I stopped you because there were some things, such as Sasori's whereabouts, that I had to ascertain before giving my report.' He answered smoothly. 'As to your other questions; I'm not the leader so I don't know what the Akatsuki wants or is going to do. My guess is that yes you will be wanted dead and, for convenience sake although not as urgently, Ino will be as well.' Mentioning her name his eyes briefly flicked to her before returning to Deidara's. 'Then again,' he added with a light shrug as if his message was not important, 'I suppose that depends on the report I give. If they believe you already dead then I very much doubt any order to dispose of you will be given.'

Shocked as his meaning sunk in Ino shifted in Deidara's arms so that she was sitting straighter. 'Why would you do something like that?' She blurted out before she could stop herself.

'What do you want?' Deidara added knowingly barely a second later. This time Itachi allowed himself a half-smile, amused by their reactions.

'I'm not owned by Akatsuki,' the prodigy replied to Ino's question; 'and in some ways I envy your position. Would that I could break the ties that bind me…but it is harder for me than it is for Deidara.' He suddenly looked harrowed as if remembering what a heavy load he was carrying. Shaking his head to clear it he raised his eyes to Deidara's face. 'I want nothing in return except, of course, that you don't bring attention to yourselves. If I'm found to have lied it will be troublesome for more than just myself.'

Silence greeted his words as Deidara and Ino tried to comprehend how little they seemed to have known of Itachi up until that point. That he would willingly lie to save their lives, with nothing in it for him, was amazing.

'Thank you,' Ino managed at last and her smile was sincere. Itachi, his face having returned to it's usual indifferent expression, nodded an acknowledgement of her gratitude. Deidara though, despite wanting to leave before his ex-colleague could change his mind, had one last thing to ask.

'I feel stupid asking you for a favour now,' he started hesitantly, 'but it's unavoidable if I'm to keep my head low, hm. Sasori's last wish was to have his body preserved but I can't enter Konohagakure to fetch it now…'

'Where is it?'

'I left it in the last Hokage face, in the back left corner.'

'Very well. I will retrieve it when I have regained my strength. You should leave now though; get as far away as possible from the allied lands.' Deidara nodded in reply and turned to leave. Before he jumped into the trees though Ino heard Itachi mutter quietly, 'I hope we never meet again.'

* * *

Ino hadn't seemed particularly pleased to see her, which had momentarily surprised Temari - but then again she didn't suppose anyone could really affect pleasure when they were injured and their village under attack. At least she was getting out of the village to set up a medic camp; it was a good idea judging from how close to the hospital the still-burning flames were. She was nearer the other site of attack though - a large area submerged in water - and so hurried towards that fight, leaving the flames alone. Ino had confirmed that it was the Akatsuki who were attacking Konohagakure and so, from the attacks, she assumed that their adversaries were Itachi and Kisame. As she neared she saw that there was already a group of ANBU and shinobi standing next to the vast aquatic expanse and, as they approached, one broke off from the group to greet them. Temari's heart soared as she recognised the man.

'Shikamaru!'

He grinned at her as she stopped a metre or so in front of him. 'Temari; long time no see!'

'Too long,' she agreed meaningfully and Shikamaru sobered.

'We'll have to catch up later I'm afraid,' he sighed, gesturing towards the water behind him; 'We really need your help right now.'

'Of course,' the sand kunoichi agreed, her countenance more business-like suddenly. Shikamaru's eyes betrayed his regret at the unfortunate situation but there was little he could do about it. Deciding he would make the rubbish greeting up to her later he forced himself to concentrate on tactics.

'We need you to part the water with your fan. Then I'll try and catch Kisame with my shadow jutsu whilst the ANBU attempt to rescue the ninjas stuck in there. OK?'

Nodding her assent Temari detached the fan from her back and readied it for an attack. Kankouro, who had taken the rest of the ANBU to meet up with the group of ninja near the water, wisely ushered them out of the way and Shikamaru excused himself, jogging swiftly to join the shinobi crowd.

Parting the water wasn't very hard because she still had most of her chakra left but whilst the ANBU readily dived into the water either side of the passage she'd created and swam in search of ninja to save Shikamaru, after poking his head into either side, quickly retreated back to Temari's side.

'Change of plan,' he told her, his eyes trained on the water. 'Kisame is moving too fast for me to catch; I'd need a diversion and the ANBU are too busy to provide that. If you split the water in several different places then he might decide to drop the jutsu.'

Obeying, Temari watched as, just like Shikamaru had predicted, Kisame dropped the jutsu when he realised what she was doing. 'Good,' the Nara boy muttered at her side. 'Come closer now; I need you to be able to hear my orders without having to separate from the group to tell you.'

Once she reached the small group of ANBU who were standing near Kankouro Shikamaru turned his attention to her brother, telling him to be a distraction with his ANBU unit whilst he himself would attempt to catch Kisame now he was back to moving at his normal speed. Temari could only watch then as the ANBU and Kankouro moved in to surround the shark nin, attacking him from all sides. Kisame was too good for them though, despite having used a lot of chakra on his water jutsu, and was dodging every attack, managing to effectively foil Shikamaru's plan as well because he wouldn't stay still. The shadows of the ANBU though were mixing with Kisame's and, at risk of trapping the ANBU as well, Shikamaru decided to move closer in the hope that he would be able to execute his jutsu when he was nearer without detection because surely Kisame didn't expect him to trap his fellow ninja as well…?

Seeing him approach though Kisame frowned and a few seconds later Shikamaru felt the air parting behind him. Moving to his right and turning as he did so he saw the Samehada was heading straight for where he had been standing a moment ago. He didn't have enough time to dodge anymore and, whilst he avoided the main brunt of the attack the vicious weapon heavily grazed his side and, suddenly devoid of chakra, he collapsed to the ground. Temari, who had been watching it all but hadn't had enough time to warm Shikamaru of the attack, now ran in to stand by him, hovering around him worriedly; the only consolation was that, in the couple of seconds Kisame had had to dedicate to concentrating on wounding Shikamaru had delivered him a blade in his left thigh. Using more chakra though he caught the ANBU fighting him in small water bubbles and knocked Kankouro over, his puppets destroyed. Then, advancing on Shikamaru and Temari he picked up Samehada (whom had fallen several metres away from Shikamaru after it's attack) and brandished it dangerously.

'Get out of the way,' he ordered Temari who had positioned herself in front of Shikamaru, her fan drawn and ready to use. 'I don't want to harm a girl.'

She snorted at that, her stomach twisting in hatred for the man who had hurt Shikamaru so much. 'I wouldn't worry,' she replied icily. 'It'll be _me_ who's doing the harming.'

* * *

Finito! End of chapter 33!

I hope it was worth waiting for! I'm not sure when I will be able to get the next chapter out...I'm guessing the half-term which is, um, I'm not sure...about a month or so away? I thought you might like to know that there are only two more chapters of this story to go including the epilogue...so it should conclude next chapter and then skip a bit into the fute for chapter 35 (which will be the epilogue).

I hope you have enjoyed the fic thus far and will stick with it 'tell the end!

Please tell me what you thought of this chapter and it's not too late to influence the fates of your favourite characters so if you have any suggestions for how you'd like to see certain characters end up please tell me in your review and I'll see what I can do!

Unfortunately some fates are set and can't be changed but feel free to give suggestions!

Thankyou to all who reviewed last time;

**Sasukeloverforever **- Glad you liked the romance-y bits! I also think the fighting is dry but I don't like writing fights where lots of techniques are involved and you have to remember the names of jutsus and describe the taijutsu etc. so I try and rush through them...but it would be weird if I didn't write any at all in a fic where a village is being attacked!! & Yesss! I found out about the person thing (OK) like just before you reviewed with it! QK is supposed to be a ninja apparently because the 'tail' of the Q is like the knot at the back of their headbands! There is also OGC for the not-so-innocent lol! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too! x

**Fantasy Kairy **- Hope this chapter wasn't too late and so glad you liked the last one! I've quit my job so technically shouldn't be so busy but I've got to start making notes for school so we'll see how that goes! Thanks for the review! :)

**LosConquistadores** - Wow - dedication there! I hope you've caught up on the sleep by now and enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the review! :]

**Jelly-sama** - D'awww, I'm touched. Thank you very much; it's good to be able to find other enthusiasts for pairings as obscure as this! Also I love your pen-name - it is brilliant in it's originallity and randomness haha! :D Thanks for the review!

**Leiaah** - I'm happy I didn't make Ibiki too scary or weak; I didn't want to focus too much on him so I was afraid I'd toned down his aura of authority and his torturous nature but I'm glad you thought I'd got it just right! I hope I engaged you in this chapter as well, even though a lot of it was fighting! Thanks for the review!

**Ethereal Forest** - :D Yep, it's definitely drawing to a close and I'm so glad I finally managed to get Dei and Ino back together...it'd taken far too long really! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to your views on it! ;D

**Gaara Luvr 43** - =D Hope this is soon enough for an update!!! So SO glad you liked it!! :D :D

**Yuti-Chan** - Ahah! Thankyou for all of your reviews; it was really inspiring to read through a commentary on my fic and actually after reading your reviews I managed to finish writing this chapter!! Lucky for you because now this chapter is out soon after you read the rest of the fic! I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far, even though I killed a lot of characters..., and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as much!

Please review - I look forward to your comments!

~WfCP xxx


	34. In The End

Hello all!

So it hasn't been too long since the last chapter, I don't think! And this is the penultimate chapter; or the last chapter, if you will, with an epilogue to follow. Wow, it's been so long since I started writing this it's wierd to finally be so close to the end! It's also somewhat relieving though; I'm hoping it'll be liberating to be free from such a large undertaking. Well, we'll see; I can't imagine the feeling just yet.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

'I wouldn't worry,' Temari replied icily. 'It'll be _me_ who's doing the harming.'

* * *

The air was stifling, the bustle and crowds nauseating and the white walls too hash; with her senses utterly assaulted Shizune hurried to the reception desk of the hospital, following the young medic who had informed her of the guest. It was an ANBU member with an unconscious Tsunade; what would she do if the Hokage wasn't there to order her about? She had been working like a robot to heal the influx of patients without Tsunade's help but the thought of her mentor's aid not being there to be offered scared her. Emerging into the room at last she saw the ANBU member immediately. He was, indeed, carrying an unconscious Tsunade who looked battered and singed.

'This way,' Shizune urged, pushing him past a couple of citizens sobbing over the body of their child who looked too charred to be rescued. She had to steel herself against her emotions when she saw sights such as these; there was nothing that could be done so feeling sad was useless yet she was too soft to be a medic under these circumstances. She wondered how the other nurses coped.

Tsunade was deposited on a bed, the patient previously occupying it having been moved to share a bed with another sufferer, and Shizune hovered nervously above the blonde, resting a hand on her wrist to feel her pulse. It was faint but it was there. The Hokage's chakra was almost gone though and she could feel that what little was left was mixed up as if she had been through serious trauma.

'What happened to her? How did she get like this?' She demanded of the ANBU, her voice higher than normal as she fretted. At first the man seemed reluctant to speak and when he did his voice sounded funny as if he was trying to alter it.

'In the flames. I found her like that.'

For a moment Shizune stared at him blankly, trying to work out why he was trying to avoid detection. Then the voice registered in her fuddled brain and she blinked in surprise. 'Naruto? Naruto, is that you?'

Sheepishly the ninja removed the mask, scratching the back of his head worriedly. 'I had to get out of the base,' he pleaded with her to understand. 'I couldn't let anything happen on my behalf but I was too late.' Now his eyes trained themselves on Tsunade's pseudo-youthful features. 'Will she be alright? Did I get her here in time? Can you heal her?'

Shizune frowned at the questions. She didn't mind that Naruto had escaped his prison; she had always felt sorry for his position though she thought it had been for the best. Now he was asking her to heal Tsunade though and she wasn't sure she could. Her chakra had been drained by the many previous citizens entering with serious wounds; now she would have let them die to save just one person.

_That's not a very good ninja philosophy_, she chastised herself but it lacked sincerity; could she really be angry at her wanting to save the Hokage? Naruto was looking at her now, expecting an answer, and his eyes revealed with their increasing fear how long she had remained silent.

'I don't know where to start,' she replied at last. 'Her chakra is very weak but her pulse is there. She won't die but unless we find out what's wrong she's going to take a long time to recover.'

'But we don't have a long time!' Naruto protested; 'Look at the village; we need her _now_!'

'There's nothing I can do!' Shizune snapped back at him, annoyed that he didn't seem to grasp the situation. Naruto had always held to the unreasonable philosophy that anything was possible so long as you wanted it badly enough which was why he couldn't accept the truth now. In that respect he didn't seem to have grown up at all; but he had grown stronger in his isolation and taller and he looked much more like he knew what he was doing. Now he was quiet and stared at Tsunade's face for a long time. Shizune, watching him, sighed and massaged her temples with her left hand.

'We're going to need a new Hokage,' she informed him quietly. Seeing the dark look that swept across his face she added to placate him, 'Maybe you'll finally achieve your dream.' He shook his head though, surprising her.

'Don't say that. I'd much rather Tsunade woke up and took back her position.'

For a while she observed him crouching by the former Hokage, his face drawn and looking much older than she'd ever seen him before. For once she could picture him as a Hokage who carried the weight of the village on his shoulders.

'I have to go,' she told him quietly but he didn't spare her a glance. As she left she heard him ordering Tsunade to wake up under his breath.

* * *

Kisame blocked the typhoon of wind assaulting him with a shell of water, glad that it also hid his grimace from the sand kunoichi; his chakra was depleting too fast for his liking and he was worn out. He could tell that her attacks were also tiring but he had no wish to stay fighting her any longer. As the wind dissipated and he dropped his water-shield he snuck a glance over to where Itachi's fire was still flickering among the houses; it had greatly reduced from the blazing inferno that it had been before and Kisame was fairly certain that Itachi was no longer fighting. It was a hopeless mission. He had seen neither hide nor hair of Deidara and Itachi since Deidara had given Ino to Shikamaru and rashly ascended the cliff; now it seemed as if Itachi had also abandoned him.

_I need to get out of here; the mission has obviously been failed, _Kisame rationalised, sidestepping a kunai and lifting Samehada to counter a close-combat attack. The girl facing him was obviously inspired by hatred, most likely born from her concern for Shikamaru who was still sitting on the ground, a hand pressed over his heavily-grazed side. His wound was nothing serious but it had effectively taken him out of the fight and he knew that if he could just manage to do the same to his current opponent then he would be able to leave the village. Temari wasn't giving him any openings though and keeping the ANBU unit confined in their separate water bubbles was sapping his chakra quicker than any of her wind attacks were draining hers.

'What do you think you're going to achieve by fighting me?' He growled at her, hoping to talk her out of the offensive so he could escape. 'Do you think you've got a chance of beating me?' He could only hope she hadn't seen him weakening. Perhaps if he bluffed that he had great strength she would give it up. Temari snorted though, not a good sign.

'I know as well as you do that you're running out of strength. I reckon I've got a chance against you.'

She jumped back from him then and drew her fan out, sending another blast of air towards him. He erected another wall of water and was surprised when the attack suddenly stopped. Immediately he was wary; what trick was she planning? For a moment he increased his shield so that he was protected on all sides, just in case, but when nothing happened he deduced that she was bluffing to waste his chakra and so dropped the barrier. Then he blinked as if to make sure he was seeing right.

'Hello Kisame,' Itachi greeted nonchalantly from where he was standing on the other side of the sand kunoichi; she had her back to Kisame now, facing the new threat with a stance that suggested a wary anxiety.

'Hello,' he replied after a few seconds and when no-one else spoke. Temari, as if suddenly remembering that he was behind her, jolted into action and turned so that she could see them both, retreating to stand protectively in front of the kneeling Shikamaru. Itachi regarded the two enemy ninja with slated, suspicious eyes as they whispered to each other. Kisame examined his partner's stance; he concluded that Itachi must be at least as worn out as himself so why was he insisting on fighting? Was the mission still on?

Temari, her muted conversation finished, attempted to leave the area but, with what Kisame could see was a lot of effort, Itachi blocked her by causing flames to rise up in front of her, blocking her path.

'Where are you going?'

Kisame watched as, obviously disheartened at the showy technique the Uchiha had used and by how much chakra this suggested he had left, Temari drew a kunai and turned to face them again in weak defiance.

'For back up?' Itachi ventured and the way her lips thinned into a bloodless line confirmed the theory. 'That won't be necessary,' he informed a moment later, glancing at Kisame meaningfully. 'We've got what we came for; we won't be sticking around.'

'No!' The kunoichi gasped, surprising Kisame who thought she would be happy that she didn't have to fight someone she thought was so potentially dangerous. 'I won't let you go; not after all the damage you've caused, not after…' here she trailed off, her eyes flicking over to where Shikamaru was still sitting on the ground but he met her gaze with a frown and shook his head.

'Let them go, Temari. There's more important things to deal with right now.'

'Good, that's settled then.' Itachi's voice, now much closer to Kisame, surprised him and he turned his head to see that his partner had transported himself to a spot only a few feet away. 'Until next time,' he uttered the farewell with a carelessly waved hand and, grabbing Kisame's arm, set off for the town walls. Kisame allowed himself to be taken away from the fight gladly, sudden relief setting in as he realised his lucky escape.

'Did we really get what we came for, Itachi-san?' He asked as his feet hit the floor of the forest, matching the Uchiha's forced pace. Itachi snorted softly at the question and Kisame saw a hint of amusement in the weary black orbs but there was no verbal answer.

_Sasori and Deidara aren't with us either._ Kisame noted with a hopeless air._ I guess we lost a lot more than just the mission this time._

* * *

Smoke trailing into the air had spelt foreboding long before the team arrived at the gates of Konoha, out of breath from their flat-out running. They entered the village by jumping over the walls, too worried to wait to be let in, and immediately headed towards the scene of greatest destruction.

Everywhere citizens were moving in crowds towards the exits in panic and Hinata felt sick at the looks of horror on their faces. Flames licked at buildings near the hospital but the fire was dieing and the more pressing concern was the large area of flattened houses which they were heading for. She had long since departed from Akamaru's back and now her own legs propelled her forward with the others to the fight.

Konoha had taken a great blow but at least they had the energy and chakra left to fight with; at least they could help the cause. As they neared the battle scene though Kiba was struck by how little action he could see. He felt that something was wrong; where was the fighting? Shino, in front, came to a sop first and the others followed suit, barely ten meters from the first Konohagakure shinobi they could see.

'We're too late,' Shino informed tonelessly and Hinata exhaled sharply in hopeless frustration. They had pressed themselves to breaking point in trying to get to the village in time once they had seen the smoke but it still hadn't been enough. Kiba growled under his breath, Akamaru mimicking the sound. Shikamaru spotted them from where he was sitting on the ground, Temari fussing over him, and then Temari looked up and saw them.

'We're too late,' Shino repeated as they approached the duo and Shikamaru shook his head as if to dismiss the truth.

'You can still help. Hinata you know a little medic knowledge, right?'

'A l-little,' she stammered, unsure whether she'd be able to heal anything caused by this fight.

'That's enough,' he reassured her. 'Kiba, Shino, I need you to take care of the citizens; the village is under no threat now but obviously some of them can't return to their houses. Try and calm them down and get them somewhere to stay for the night. Hinata; go with them and tend to any injured you see.'

In respect for Shikamaru's calm, logical tactics in such a situation as this they agreed and set off for the outskirts of the town where most of the people had congregated. The ones who had escaped the village were huddled around the walls and in the surrounding wood so it would not be hard to find them. If only it would be so easy to sort them out; but, spurred on by their need to help in some way and having missed the fight, their enthusiasm was unbeatable in their task.

* * *

_So it's over_, Sai observed as he watched the ANBU members tending to his injured comrades. Tenten was in shock as a masked member tried to explain that Neji wouldn't be coming back. Gai and Lee were both being healed though their injuries were not major, Kisame having been distracted before he could deal any real damage. Shikamaru was braving the pain of his side injury, having Temari help him to walk as he gathered together the ninja that had no jobs and instructed them on where to go. And Kakashi? Well he was still unconscious. Sai had administered as much healing chakra as he dared, not being particularly skilled in that area, but knew it would never be enough to completely heal the white-haired ninja's eye.

How would Konoha survive these terrible scars? How long would it take? Would they be attacked by other countries when the news that they were weak and vulnerable spread? For surely citizens, now homeless, would perceive the benefits of betraying their city in return for wealth in another land?

Being a member of root he had been taught to mask his emotions but being a member of team seven had forced him to unlock them. Now he felt remorse for the city he had come to call home and the state it had been reduced to. Admittedly many of the houses and buildings still stood but too many of the ANBU and other ninjas had died and it would take too long to rebuild their forces to their former glory. If Konoha suffered an invasion it would not survive.

Kakashi stirred in his arms and slowly blinked open his good eye to reveal the unnatural crimson orb marked by three black commas that remained his only source of light. He studied Sai's face for several seconds and then turned his head to examine the damage done.

'I don't know how Konoha will recover from this,' Sai muttered. 'All I can see is more suffering.'

'That's because you're not looking right,' Kakashi replied cryptically.

'We are weak now, an easy target. The other countries will seize the opportunity.'

'Suna will help us; that's why the treaty was made to begin with. We have our friends, Sai.'

'I'm not convinced,' was the wary reply. 'Politics is full of fair-weather friends.'

For a long time they watched the column of smoke twist into the darkening sky in silence. Then Kakashi sighed and Sai returned his attention to his unfortunate companion who managed a wry, lopsided smile.

'Don't worry, Sai,' he murmured; 'Konoha always wins out in the end.'

* * *

Night had fallen and already he felt as if he had travelled for days. No one was pursuing them, something he was unused to in a situation where he was running away, and Ino was so exhausted that she'd fallen asleep in his arms. He was aware that he could slow his pace if he wanted to but he was nearing the border of Konoha and he wanted to make sure he was clear of the country before he even considered relaxing.

Less than half an hour later and Deidara entered the Tea country, slowing his pace to a walk as he listened to his heart beat and the sound of his ragged breathing. Lights from a tea-house glowed invitingly not far down the road but although he was tempted to stop for a short rest he knew that the Tea country had strong ties with Konoha and two ninja as bedraggled as themselves were sure to bring unwanted attention; he couldn't risk leaving a trail of where they had gone behind them.

Thus thinking he kept his legs moving, walking past the shop with a light yawn. Ino stirred in his arms but remained sleeping and after a few more minutes he began to jog. Forest surrounded him still, either side of the path, but after a couple of hours he saw mountain peaks rising above the trees to his right and so steered his path left into the forest. The trees looked exactly the same as they had in the forests of Konoha but after a while he began to smell fresh, salty air and knew the sea wasn't far away. He quickened his pace into a run and not long afterwards the forest ended and Deidara found himself standing at the top of a cliff, staring at the vast blue expanse of the eastern sea. The moonlight reflected off the clear, calm water and where it sparkled it looked as if there were precious jewels floating on the surface.

To his right the cliff sloped down to level ground where there was a small fishing village, the wooden residences nestled closely together as if for warmth in the face of the cool sea breeze. Ships were anchored a little way from the shore, their masts casting long shadows over the houses, and the creaking of wooden timber mixed with the swish of the waves sliding onto the shingle beach below to provide an incredible aura of secluded peace; Deidara felt as if he had left everything he had been running from far behind.

Ino shifted in his hold again and this time her breathing changed as she blinked open an eye to gaze for a while at his face. Then she turned her head and opened her other eye, observing her surroundings.

'Did you sleep well?' Deidara murmured the question, not wishing to disturb the tranquil atmosphere, and Ino lazily returned her eyes to his.

'Aren't I still dreaming?' She wondered in much the same pitch; 'I feel too safe to be awake.'

He chuckled at the words and looked back down at the village, a smile tugging at his lips. It was true, he suddenly realised; he felt safe. He wasn't sure if they would be able to remain in the spot for long because it was still too near Konoha for any lasting comfort but for now, at least, it was a welcome relief.

'We're in the tea country,' Ino noted as he lowered her to the ground and helped her to stand. He hummed an agreement and she looked pleased; 'I thought I recognised the landscape. Are we going to stay here?'

'I'm not sure, hm.' Seeing her face he added quickly, 'But for now yes.'

'The inns won't be open this late.'

'Then we'll sleep somewhere else.' Glancing around him Deidara steered her over to a mossy patch of ground a few trees into the forest and helped her to sit. Resting his back against a thick trunk and stretching his legs in front of him he was pleased to find that the sea was still visible from his chosen spot and that Ino wasn't perturbed by the change from the thought of a pillow to the reality of his chest.

'We're going to make it through this, aren't we?' Ino breathed after a while of watching the full moon make it's slow journey across the cerulean sky.

'We already have, hm.' Deidara assured her.

'And we can keep this up?'

'Of course we can.'

'I don't want to be caught,' Ino whispered sincerely. 'I want to go somewhere I've never heard of where we'll never be found and we can grow old and die in peace.'

The ex-Iwagakure, ex-akatsuki nin snorted softly at the sentiments. 'I don't want to grow old and die,' he murmured back; 'but the peace part sounds nice, hm.'

Smiling Ino pressed herself closer to Deidara and wrapped her arms around his midriff, content. Embracing her, he stroked her cheek with the back of his right index finger and smiled when she raised tired eyes to meet his.

'Go back to sleep,' he told her quietly, 'I'll keep watch.'

'No. We're safe here. You've got to sleep as well.' He consented but resolved to wait until her breathing slowed before he allowed his own eyes to close. 'I love you,' Ino breathed before she allowed sleep to consume her once more.

After a long time revelling in the safety and comfort of their surroundings and position Deidara finally let his eyes flutter shut. Before he slipped fully into the welcoming darkness though he couldn't help but have the last word.

'I love you too, Ino. Hm.'

* * *

Finito!

Oh what an amazing feeling, even if there is still an epilogue to go! Aha, I will revel in this small delight for a while. :D

...

...

Right, good, that's enough.

So what did you all think? A befitting almost-end? Or was something missing? :/

Thanks to all who reviewed the previous chapter;

**Leiaah** - Aww sorry about Neji; I've got to satisfy my sadistic killing nature somehow though and he was a minor character. I'm surprised I didn't kill off half the cast to be honest! & Dayam I'm obviously making this story too predicatable if you can guess Itachi's 'shocking' change of heart; well done though - some shwed intuition there methinks! I'm afraid I couldn't show much of Temari's badass'ness because I had to finish the fight quickly as this was the last chapter; I hope you still enjoyed it though...? Thanks for the review. :)

***Starlight*** - Um, yes, well, 'intense'...and quick! Or 'short and sweet' however you wish to look at it. I'm afraid I couldn't really prolong the fight any longer though! Thanks for the review and hope you liked this chapter too. :)

**Yuti-Chan** - Yep definitely a happy end for Dei and Ino; it would have been hideously cruel of me to deny them that! Their epilogue piece should be cheerful too so look forward to it; I think it's got to be happier than this bit actually so should be good for you! ;) Thanks for the review.

**Ethereal Forest** - Ahahaha, yes I'm fine thanks (I think); that said I actually haven't killed off any large number of people or a major character for ages! (Sasori was a while ago and Neji is minor. Not even in other stories have I submitted to the killing urge. Scary! Perhaps I am ill!). I thought it would be nice to slip in a reference to 'nice Itachi' of the manga plotline at some point (besides I think someone asked for that at some point...?) and - shock horror - I have once again avoided your expectations; _no_ deaths in the last chapter (except Neji but he kinda died last chapter...)! Kisame lived too. Amazing, right? :D Thanks for the review!

**Gaara Luvr 43** - Thanks for the looong review; I loved it! :D Awesome with the nicknames as well - sounds like the kinda thing I might do! Glad you weren't too upset at Neji dying then; it's a good pairing, right, right? :D & Aha; surprised you with Itachi, did I? Thought it might be a nice twist for once! Thanks very much for the review.

**Tori Sohma** - Thanks; I hope this was quick enough? Epilogue should be out around Easter. Your review is much appreciated! :)

**KaprisTheCharismaticDisaster** - Wow, that's one long display name you have there! I'm very glad you're still enjoying it; was this a suitable almost-end chapter? Also - what dedication that you wish to completely re-read it when it's finished. I'm touched! :) Thanks a lot for the review!

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So please review! I have some ideas for the epilogue but if there's anything specific you want to see please tell me and I'll try and fit it in! Especially if there's some minor characters you want to hear about because I might accidentally forget to put in what happens to them unless someone reminds me!!

Every reviewer is much much loved by me and will be mentioned in the final chapter/epilogue. Next chapter should be out around Easter.

Please review!

love,

~WfCP xxx


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